A Change of Scenery
by BlueberryToasterTart
Summary: Modern AU - Hiccup leaves his small town in search of change. It's not going as well as he'd hoped but things appear bright when he meets Astrid, a fiery girl, who seems to bring out the best and worst of him. (Hiccstrid, *winks*)
1. Chapter 1

Alright - so I wrote a one-shot modern au and I ended up really enjoy it and liking it, so I wanted to expand on it. This is my first modern au of anything so…don't judge be too harshly lol - enjoy!

Chapter 1: Striking Out

Hiccup still wasn't used to the motion of the city. The street outside his cramped apartment was a constant roar. The first couple nights he had laid awake on his air mattress staring at the ceiling which often vibrated as a resulted of his upstairs neighbors blaring metal. And tonight wasn't any different. He pulled his pillow over his face as a police siren went by.

A week in the city and already that little voice in the back of his head kept saying it was a mistake. He'd struck out of his small town life to get away, not just the town, but also his overbearing parents. He'd gotten a pitiful job with a welding company. He worked long hours in a tiny and miserable shop that smelled like cigarettes, sweat, and piss. He made just enough to pay for his tiny apartment and the occasional fast food taco.

He couldn't call home for money. He'd been a failure at everything else in life and crawling back home would only prove to his father that he'd messed up again. He had told him that moving out without a plan was a mistake and Hiccup didn't want to see his disappointed face again.

Hiccup woke up with a start. Bright sunlight was blaring through the window. The ceiling was thumping and the overhead light was shaking. Hiccup pushed himself off the bed and through a cold shower. The hot water worked some of the time, but not all the time.

Today was Wednesday, which meant he didn't have to work. But he couldn't stay in this place all day. His head was already throbbing. He gathered a few books and his current sketch book and left the apartment. He gave the door an extra tug to make sure it latched.

He didn't have anywhere in particular he wanted to go. He walked until his headache subsided. He'd turned onto the campus of the university. Students were flocking this way and that. Dressed in a hoodie and jeans with an old backpack slung over his shoulder, no on paid him much him, like usual, he didn't stand out in the least.

The massive university library stood out with its ancient castle like structure. He went inside and a bit irked that the castle-like atmosphere did not continue. But it was peaceful and quiet. The floor he'd entered into was set up like a lounge with chairs and small sofas arranged study-group style. Students were scattered, studying or snoozing, and one guy sat with his eyes closed, tapping his finger in the air, his big headphones leaking out a mumbled beat.

Hiccup choose a table stashed between two bestseller bookshelves. He sat down and relished the silence. He retrieved a book from his bag and leaned back in the squishy chair. The next two hours flew by as he read and he was only interrupted by this thirst. He had heard the tell-tale clatter of a soda machine not too far away.

He replaced the book in his bag and slung it back over his shoulder and went to find it. It didn't take long. The glowing machine was on the other side of the wide staircase. It was next to a candy and chip filled vender and a gas station coffee spitter. Hiccup retrieve one of the dollar bills from his wallet and smoothed it out on the corner of the machine. He fed it to the coffee machine but it rumbled and spit it back out. He tried again, and again, and for the fun of it, a third time. But every time the machine returned his money with an angry mechanical whine.

"Damn it." Hiccup mumbled. He snatched the dollar back and crunched it in his fist.

He heard a small mumbled from behind him and he turned to see a blonde girl watching him. Her shoulders were supporting a backpack and her shirt was sporting the school's track team's logo. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid that left fair strands dangling about her heart shaped face. She was beautiful, without a doubt, and it was making him horrible nervous.

"I've got it." She said, handing him a smooth bill, holding it out between her delicate fingers.

"Oh, um…thank you." Hiccup said, unable to look her in the eye. Her blue eyes were crisp and intelligent and they were making his heart race. He handed her the crumpled bill in exchange but she shook her head.

"No, it's okay." She said.

Hiccup stood there, the crisp bill in his hand, with this beautiful creature still watching him. He gulped and turned back to the coffee machine which then took the bill with no hesitation. The little light came on with a beep and the machine was ready to fill his order. He paused over the buttons.

"The mocha is good but it's a little bitter," said the blonde girl. She had gotten closer and stood looking over his shoulder. Her skin was radiant, smooth, and flawless. But she was looking at the machine, defiantly not at him. Girls like _her _didn't look at guys like _him_. "The white chocolate is sweet, the caramel is kind of _bleh_, but the plain coffee is a safe bet."

"Oh, thanks." Hiccup said. He swallowed.

She smelt like expensive shampoo. She was so far out of his league that even the daydream was preposterous. He pushed the button for plain coffee.

_ Plain coffee? That's what you're going with? _He inwardly cursed himself.

The machine dropped down a cup and steaming coffee started to drip into it.

"I'm Astrid, by the way." she said with a friendly smile that left him feeling like he'd run into a wall. "I haven't seen you around here. New student?"

"Uh…not really." Hiccup shrugged. He probably wasn't supposed to be in here if he wasn't a student. The machine beeped that his coffee was finished. He picked it up and brought it his nose. It smelled strong.

Astrid fed the machine another smooth bill and punch the mocha button. In an instant the machine was dribbling.

"So do you have a name?" Astrid asked.

_Idiot! _Hiccup cursed himself again. He hadn't even returned her introduction. "Hiccup."

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked with a raised brow.

"It's a, uh, nickname. It's a long story, but it's just stuck." Hiccup shrugged.

He waited for her reaction but he was surprised when she smiled. She picked up her finished coffee and inhaled the steam.

"Well, alright, I've heard weirder." Astrid shrugged. She sipped her mocha. "I'll see you around?"

"Uh, sure." Hiccup said.

Astrid walked away and Hiccup felt the racing in his chest subside just a little.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Alright - first chapter of my first attempt - it went…well, I think. Did it? I don't know, I'm bias when it comes to my own writing. Review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the support! It was one of those rough weeks for me and coming back here and seeing positive reviews absolutely made my day J so thank you guys so much! Here's the next:

Chapter 2: You Draw?

Thursday was the usual drag it had become. Seven to Seven at the shop and Hiccup was exhausted, no, he was beyond exhaustion. In the morning he wouldn't remembering climbing the stairs or opening his front door. Once inside his jittering apartment he crashed onto the air mattress and was out before he landed.

Friday morning brought a new sign of hope, or to Hiccup, a sound of hope. The upstairs apartment was silent for the first time since he'd moved in. He lay there, still in his work clothes, listening to the absence of the throbbing bass. Rolling over and off the bed, a horrible sting punched him in the neck. Thinking he'd slept on it wrong, he had before, he rubbed it as he made his short way to the shower.

Hiccup worked twelve hour shifts on Tuesday and Thursday and often put in as many extra hours as he could. It meant more misery but it also meant more money. And he could also use more of that. But he dreaded going to work.

With the lukewarm water running rivets down his face he thought back to that girl at the library. That lovely face and yellow hair had stung his dreams, too, with flashes here and there, like his own subconscious was mocking him. He rubbed his face and groaned into his hands.

She had probably been a cheerleader in high school. One of _those _girls, who dated team leaders with trophies and jerseys and cars without rust spots, who went out on the weekend and made friends without even trying. Yeah, he didn't have to hear anyone confirm it. She had been one of those girls, the flawlessly pretty and born for greatness, made for cameras and a husband with a triple digit income.

"I'm dreading the day he drags a girl home." He'd overheard his father say one night. He'd been whispering to an old family friend they'd always called Gobber. Hiccup didn't know what his real name was. It didn't matter.

"Why? You'd rather him move to California and never come home at all?" Gobber had joked. His brother had done that, he thought.

"No, but I've seen the types of girls he meets. They're…weird." Stoick, his father had whispered even lower, as if he had known that Hiccup had been listening in, and didn't want him to hear that part. Like it had made it any better.

"_Oh_, you brought home a different woman every weekend since puberty and look how that turned out." Gobber pointed out.

Stoick didn't like to be reminded of his marriage. Hiccup had asked him once. All he knew about his mother was that she had left when he was a baby and lived somewhere up north. Stoick wouldn't tell him exactly where but Hiccup could tell that he knew.

His father had mumbled something, and Gobber snapped back, "I'm just saying you can never tell how things will end up."

Hiccup tried to erase this from his mind by scrubbing his scalp with his nails. If only there was a way he could extract it altogether. And then he wouldn't have to be reminded how his father thought about him.

With the ceiling calm the apartment was almost livable. He sat in his empty living room, which also served as a dining room, kitchen, and guest room, and pulled the sketch book from his bag. Flipping to a new page he let his mind wander while his hands drew subconsciously.

That's what he thought happened, anyway. Sometimes, when he was lost in thought, he would come back and find drawings that he didn't remembering drawing. He would start thinking about something, and that lead to another, and the next thing he knew there was another set of mysterious doodles looking back at him and aches in his fingers.

He let the pencil move freely as he thought about his father, the disappointment, his mother's absence, the perfect people with their lives all in order, the girl from the coffee machine. Hiccup coughed and it brought him back to the real world. When he looked down he saw the very face he'd been thinking about. _Hers_.

There was no denying it. It was her heart shaped face smiling at him, her perfect teeth, smooth skin, intelligent eyes, and loose braid draped over her shoulder, strands falling around her face. But there wasn't just one. There were several of her, smiling, speaking, standing still. And in each one she looked perfect. She didn't have a bad angle.

Hiccup spent the day in the apartment, lounging in his boxes with his ancient computer and sketchbook, and he enjoyed it. But it all came to an abrupt halt when the apartment above slammed into motion as if someone had had the noise paused. Groaning, he knew his peace was gone.

The night came and Saturday morning crept up slowly but the vibrating ceiling hadn't stopped.

_ How the hell could someone sleep through that?_ Hiccup sure as hell couldn't.

He could have stayed home that day too but he didn't. He didn't want to. His head had enjoyed the sound vacation and wasn't eager to return. He left the apartment in a huff with only his sketchbook and set his destination as the university library. He didn't know why, maybe it was because it was a place he had been before, or maybe it was because of _her_. Hiccup tried not to think about it too hard. His brain couldn't take it at the moment.

But the library, which was a little busier on Saturday than it had been on Wednesday, had a peace that he wouldn't turn down. Maybe he'd just move in here. Sleep in a broom closet and wash in the bathroom.

He settled into the same chair from his previous visit and laid the sketchbook on his lap. His mind drifted to the noisy apartment, and what type of people they must be, what drugs they had to be doing, and the horrible people they surely were, when a sudden voice brought him out of it.

"That's really good."

The first thing he saw was the scene he'd been drawing. It was the vending machines. The pencil had paused on the curvature of a familiar heart shaped face and Hiccup inhaled a little too sharply. He looked up for the course of the disturbance and caught his breath as it tried to escape.

Astrid was sitting adjacent from him on the little sofa with her chin in her hands. She was looking at the drawn with those wide eyes.

"Oh…uh, thanks." Hiccup said. He felt his face get red. In his typical panic he shut the sketchbook. Lucky it had just been and outline of her, not a noticeable drawing of her.

"Do you know Heather?" Astrid asked. She rested her elbows on her knees.

"Who?" Hiccup asked.

"Heather. Oh, I don't know her last name. Dark hair, green eyes, tall." Astrid said.

"No." Hiccup shook his head.

"Are you in the art department?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup shook his head.

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed. She's an art major and I thought that maybe you guys had meet. Never mind, then." Astrid shrugged. "So if you aren't an art major what are you?"

"Oh," Hiccup stumbled over his words. _What to say?_

"It's cool, I won't make fun of you if you're a philosophy major." Astrid smiled.

God, her smile was beautiful. What had be been thinking?

"I-I don't have one." Hiccup said.

"Undeclared?"

"No, I don't go to school." Hiccup said it quickly.

"Oh!" Astrid said like made all the sense in the world. "That's okay."

"So…what's your major?" Hiccup asked. He wished that she would stop looking at him. His heart was beating all around in his chest. But he didn't want the conversation to end.

"I'm an English major." she shrugged.

"You want to teach?" Hiccup asked.

"No, but my parents said that if I wanted their financial help that I had to go straight into college after high school. I didn't know what I wanted to do so I picked English. _Supposedly_, it's evenly marketable." Astrid sighed. She looked around. For a moment Hiccup saw what he would label as discomfort on her face. She quickly pushed it aside with another question about him. "So, where are you from?"

"You've probably never heard of it." Hiccup shrugged.

"Try me." Astrid said.

"Berk."

"And that's…where?"

"It's a tiny little town in Maine. About a hundred people, tops." Hiccup shrugged.

"Berk," Astrid said it like she was memorizing the sound it make. Then her face exploded, "Berk! I knew it sounded familiar! My uncle lives there, Finn Hofferson."

"Really?" Hiccup said.

"I've never been there but he and my parents send Christmas cars every year." Astrid shrugged.

For the next two hours and a half they talked. They sat in the library and just talked. Hiccup had forgotten what it was like to have a normal conversation without the other person glaring down at him or sending him judgmental comments about something he'd done or said or hadn't done. Many of those talks, mostly with his father, had left him feeling run over. But talking with Astrid was different. It was like she was genuinely interested in what he was saying.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He slid his hand into his pocket and groaned at the number.

"I've got to take this." Hiccup said and quickly excused himself.

It was a short conversation. Jerry had called in and Hiccup had overtime. He turned back to say goodbye to Astrid but she was talking to someone else. He was tall, handsome, and wearing a shirt a size to small to make sure everyone noticed his muscular arms. Typical.

He was leaning on the back of the sofa while Astrid turned in her seat to look at him. He laughed avidly, a little too much so, at something she had said. Hiccup felt that pressure in his chest pop and deflate. He shouldn't even waste his time. He left them to their talking and heading back to his dumpy apartment.

XXXX

Astrid nodded when Hiccup left to answer his phone. He watched him walk away, a slight hitch in his step, admiring his narrow waist. She didn't have long to look. A familiar hand brushed against her shoulder. She turned to see Eret coming in to lean on the back of the couch.

"Studying hard? Are we?" Eret grinned, motioning his eyes toward Hiccup, that obnoxious mischief on his face.

"Shut up," Astrid shook her head. "I'm making friends, the normal way. You should try it sometime."

"What? And forgo my amazing charm for friendly conversation? Really, I don't care about other people's shitty lives and stupid problems. I like the people who are fun, and not complicated." Eret motioned with a finger to the group of girls sitting around a laptop, all in the sorority girl uniform of black yoga pants and Columbia jackets.

"Oh, right, you like the quick and sleazy ones." Astrid shook her head in mock disappointment.

Eret laughed. "What's wrong with that? I've got my type and I'm sticking to it."

"Right, I'm sure they are all very nice." Astrid laughed. Then she squinted. "I thought you had class on Fridays?"

"I do." Eret nodded. "But I was just feeling so horrible this morning, I didn't want to go and spread my sick germs to the other kids. That's just unfair."

Astrid shook her head. He wasn't going to make it to graduation. He grinned and waved a quick goodbye. Astrid turned back to Hiccup, opening her mouth to say something, but forgot it as soon as she saw the empty chair. She peered around to where he'd vanished to. He wasn't anywhere in sight.

Astrid sighed. Glancing back at the chair he'd occupied she saw the sketchbook that he'd shut so quickly. Looking around for him one last time, she picked up the book and tucked it into her bag. Maybe she'd see him again.

xxxxxxxx 

LOL I honesty don't know what Astrid would have majored in, probably not English, because she's more logic and hands-on. But I have a plan for this, don't worry!


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter really flowed - thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Girl Talk

_If the creature is the failed Adam, what does that make Victor?_

What the fuck did that even mean? Astrid's head was always reeling after those stupid literature classes. What was she even supposed to be learning? If felt less like class and more like book club.

Back at her apartment after an exhausting class discussion about Frankenstein, Astrid was ready for a hot bath. She dropped her backpack to the floor beside the counter. With a groan she took out her used copy of the cursed book, and flopped it onto the counter. Her professor kept reminding them how important it was to get an early start on their final paper.

Astrid her notebook and tossed it on top of the book. Her hand had grazed an unfamiliar texture and she looked back down to find the leather bound sketchbook. Her mood inexplicably lightened. She set it beside the notebook and novel. She'd look at it later, after she'd found a paper topic.

She arranged the novel, a highlighter, an ink pen, and her open notebook on the countertop. Focus. She needed to focus. But it was proving difficult. She distracted herself with making hot tea and changing into sweats as the water boiled. With the steaming cup steeping and her lower half free from skinny jeans, she committed herself to a topic. But try as she might, her eyes kept shifting to the sketchbook, and she would wench them back to the blanket paper.

She tapped the pen furiously. It left a series of black dots behind. She fingered through the book, spying lines that she had underlined and pages she'd dog eared, at the professor's interest in something or other.

_Religion_

Astrid stared down at the word. No, that would be a stuffy and boring paper. She crossed it out with heavy strokes.

_Society _

What about it? It was board. How society treated the creature versus Frankenstein? Maybe. She left it in the list.

Feminism?

Strong women were absent from the story, Astrid had noticed, and she could go on about men controlling the world. Yeah, that topic could work. She crossed out the other and circled feminism with the same heavy stroke.

There. Topic decided. She'd figure out the details later.

Astrid groaned and pushed the notebook away. She grasped the sketchbook in both hands and pulled it over to her. She flipped the front cover open carefully, like an ancient book, as if it could fall apart into dust at the slightest provocation. The drawings inside were amazing. Some were simple doodles while others had amazing detail. There were buildings, animals, and all sorts of things. She became so engrossed in the pictures, flipping pages slowly, admiring each in turn, and not wanting to miss anything.

When she came to the last page her hand frozen. It took a moment for her brain to register the images. The page was covered in sketches of _her_. Flabbergasted, Astrid turned the page quickly, to find the one she'd caught him drawing in the library. It was the vending machine. Was that unfinished bit on the side supposed to be her, too? That idea put a rock in her chest. She let the page fall back down so she could stare down at her own face. It…felt invading…like he'd stared at her without her knowing, like he'd taken her picture from behind the bushes. But at the same time it was…oddly flattering.

Her phone chirped. She closed the book and set it on the counter. The blue screen was lit up with a new message, from Heather.

_Hey, still up for 2nite?_

_ Sure. Class was a drag and I'm out of it, tho lol_

_ Cool, im in pjs lol - movie?_

_ Sure_

Astrid cleaned up her apartment. She had a bad habit of leaving her clothes about. By the time her clothes were in the hamper and the dishes were drying on a towel beside the sink, someone was knocking on the door. Astrid welcomed her inside and was relieved to know that Heather hadn't been lying about her pajamas. She was dressed in red flannel pants and a t-shirt under her hipster jacket.

Heather moaned and she kicked off her shoes. "Today had been something else. I'm super glad you didn't want to go out. I really didn't feel like it."

"So if I did want to go get smashed you'd have stayed at home?" Astrid asked.

"No, I would have gone." Heather nodded. "I would have held your hair while you puked."

They laughed. Astrid was glad she'd met Heather so early on in school. They'd had a couple classes together and they hit it off. They'd managed to get several general studies together. She was friendly and even though they hadn't known each other long she felt like an old friend.

"Painting today?" Astrid asked. She gestured to Heather's paint stained arms.

"Yeah," Heather laughed. "You know what they say, 'The life of an artist is full of paint stains and sorrow'."

"Thirsty?" Astrid asked.

"Water's fine." Heather dropped her bag by Astrid's and pulled out two movies. She held them up like playing cards, "What do you feel like? Comedy? Horror? I found this one in my closet the other day. It was one of those odd stocking stuffers from Grandma. I've never seen it."

"Sounds good." Astrid said. She got Heather's water and set it on the table beside her couch.

"You okay?" Heather asked as she turned on the television and knelt down to pop the disc into the machine.

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. It sounded like a lie, even to her, and by the look on Heather's face she knew it too.

"Are you sure?" Heather asked again, tilting her head down.

Astrid sighed. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get another girl's point of view on all this. She grabbed the sketchbook and held it against her chest as she walked toward the couch.

"Oh, you started drawing?" Heather asked. "It's okay if they're not very good. I typically hate all of my firsts."

"No, not me." Astrid said as she sat down. Well, she more _plopped _than sat.

"Hm?" Heather asked, feminine interest spiked. She crawled to the couch and sat down beside her. The movie started by Heather turned down the volume to listen.

Astrid started to tell her about the boy she'd ran into at the vending machines in the library. She told him about seeing him there after that, talking to him, and when she came to the part where he left his sketchbook she was breathless.

"And…you want to give it back to him?" Heather asked. "An excuse to talk to him again?"

"That was my idea." Astrid sighed. She looked down at the sketchbook she was holding so tight.

"Was?" Heather asked as Astrid flipped through the pages.

She found the page littered with her face and shoved it onto Heather's lap. Astrid watched as Heather scanned the page, her green eyes running along the fine lines, with that softened expression she wore when she looked at artwork.

"These are really good." Heather said, quietly, after a moment.

"What does it mean?" Astrid asked the question that she really wanted answered.

Heather smiled, "He likes you."

Astrid swallowed hard. Why did those words bother her like they did? They poked that unsettled lump in her chest, that same damn feeling that Hiccup somehow provoked.

"Don't be so nervous about it. I think it's sweet." Heather said. Her delicate fingers lingered on the page. She turned it to review his other works. "Is he a creeper?"

"Not really." Astrid shook her head. "He's kind of a nerd."

"Hm." Heather said as she scanned his drawings.

"Not like…more dork than nerd. You know?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, kind of." Heather nodded. She closed to book, "So what are you going to say to him?"

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.

"When you give him his book back. I mean, he's going to know that you looked at it." Heather said, giving it back to her.

Astrid got up to replace the sketchbook in her backpack. She hadn't thought about that. What _would _she say? She came back to the couch with a shrug. "I'm sure I'll think of something by then."

Heather grinned and restarted the movie.

Xxx

Hiccup could hear the music on the sidewalk. With each stair it grew louder until it sounded like he was living in a night club's broom closet. He slammed his door, hoping that maybe they'd get the message, though probably not, and he stripped on his way to the shower. The water was cold again, even with the dial as far toward the red H as it would go.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and didn't bother drying off completely. He's air dry soon enough. He came back out and fell onto the air mattress. He bounced back a little and laid there until he felt still. Without realizing it, he fell asleep.

Saturday started with a terrible bang. At first Hiccup was sure that someone had been shot right outside his door, and he scrambled out of bed to find something to defend himself, when he realized that it was just the noise from upstairs. The new song had a gunshot like beat that looped around every few seconds. He shouted and punched the air.

Knowing that there was no way he'd be going back to sleep, he found clean boxes in the basket of clothes that he'd washed and left, and retreated to the living room. With dry toast in his stomach and water to chase it with, he turned on his computer, and went hunting for his sketchbook while it booted up. It usually took at least six or seven minutes. But by the time the screen was on and alive Hiccup was still looking. He'd turned his apartment upside down.

"What the fuck?" Hiccup murmured. He thought back, he'd had it last…he groaned audibly. He'd had it at the library. He'd gotten that call and just walked out. It was in the chair. Hiccup kicked the wall and felt the sting run through his foot.

Xxxx

I know that the love triangle between Hiccup/Astrid/Heather is a popular thing, as much as I love it, I think that the friendship between Astrid and Heather is really underplayed and underused.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the positive feedback - I really do appreciate it!

Chapter 4: Shooting blind

Hiccup was standing outside the university library when it opened Sunday afternoon. He nodded to the student workers who didn't give him, or the five other lazily dressed persons, a second glance. He meandered inside with the rest of them, not trying to look too suspicious, back to the chair he'd sat in.

But the book was gone. He stood there for moment with a hand in his hair. Maybe someone had found it and turned it in? Seriously, what value could a half-used sketchbook have for thieves?

"Excuse me," Hiccup asked the tired brunette behind the desk. She looked up with a barely-there smile. "Did anyone turn in a sketchbook? I've lost mine."

"A sketchbook?" She repeated. "I don't know but I can check."

She was gone and back in under a minute. Disappointedly, no one had. He thanked her and headed back toward the chair. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and peered around the library. This early in the day there was hardly anyone there. He had something else to do that day so why not just hang out for a while? He picked a random book from the bestseller shelf and plopped down into the chair.

He started to read absently - what did other people do on the weekends? Sleep? Work? Do extra credit? Hang out with friends? Drink? Play pool? Did people even play pool anymore? His dad had a table in their basement but Hiccup hadn't ever been interested.

What did Astrid do on the weekends? He was sure that she had other friends and made plans. He'd never "gone out" and honestly didn't know what to think about it. What did it include? Bars? Food? Those noisy clubs that drunken people in tiny clothes seeped out from every Saturday night? They walked passed his building sometimes, and he often passed the clumsy crowd on his way home from work.

He couldn't really picture her being a part of that bumbling, numb, careless crowd. But then again he new hardly anything about her.

Thinking of her, Hiccup glanced eagerly around the library, hoping that in his drifting thoughts she might have wandering inside. A dozen other people had, but she hadn't. Or maybe she _had _and she walked right passed him, or upstairs, or downstairs, or wherever. Either way, he stayed until three when his stomach was irate. He'd need to go home and scrounge up something to eat. It was his big decision of the night: ramen noodles or canned soup?

Hiccup felt deflated as he entered his apartment. He groaned as he emptied his pockets onto the countertop.

"She's got better things to do." Hiccup told himself. "She's got much better things to do than…waste it talking to me."

It was a lifetime of being told so that convinced him to tell it to himself to save other people the trouble. Hiccup knew he shouldn't feel so down about not seeing her there. That's not how he _should _feel. But it was.

Sunday ended, Monday began, and Hiccup wandered back to the library. This time he didn't stay nearly as long. Tuesday left him exhausted. Wednesday morning was met with a chilly nip in the air. Was October always this cold? While he dressed he could already feel the dull ache in his leg. He cursed himself for not bringing his coat when he moved. He'd been in too much of a hurry. But despite the weather, he still made it to the library, trying to hide a limp. By the time he walked through the front doors his skin was prickled numb.

_What the hell am I doing?_

His first order of business was to get warm and to get the weight off his foot. He choose the first grouping of chairs, sat down, and waited on the feeling to return to his fingers. There was a gentle murmur of low voices, keyboards, and the shuffling of clothes. Every once in a while there was the sharp cough of the oncoming cold season.

"It's cold out there."

Hiccup jerked his head and was surprised to Astrid standing there, a coffee in each hand, a scarf around her neck.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed.

"Here," Astrid held out one of the cups for him. "Simple coffee, right?"

"Uh, yes. Thanks you." Hiccup nodded. The cup felt so warm in his hands. "Is the weather always like this?"

"Hm?" Astrid asked. She had taken a sip of her own. She sat down in a chair across from him. "You mean all over the place? Pretty much. It's cold out east, isn't?"

"Yeah, but not…suddenly." Hiccup shrugged.

"It took me a while to get used to it. Well, I'm still not used to it. California was always warm, you know?" Astrid said.

"You're from California?" Hiccup asked.

She nodded.

"Why move from paradise to Missouri?" Hiccup asked.

"I take it that you've never been out west?" Astrid smiled curiously.

"No."

"Eh, it's not as mind-blowing as everyone thinks it is." Astrid said. Her eyes were on her coffee. "It's where all the crazy people go so they can have crazy friends. It's just…not a place for me. Too dramatic."

"And…this is?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid sighed. "I wanted to move away but not all the way across the country. So I settled for halfway. It was between Missouri and Kansas. I'm sure as hell not spending four years in Kansas."

Hiccup smiled. What compelled him to speak was beyond him. "I kind of felt the same way. My dad wanted me to go to New York but it was too close. I knew he'd be checking up on me all the time. And…I wanted to get away."

"Take charge of your own path and let everyone else just go fuck themselves." Astrid said. She was staring at a place on the wall behind him.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked. She immediately snapped back to him.

"Yeah, just thinking. You know, when I moved out here I didn't own a coat. So I had to buy one my first winter." Astrid smiled. "And I called into work because the road was covered in ice. My boss laughed at me."

"You work?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's just this dumpy little weekend diner place. It's lame, I know, but it helps pay the bills." She shrugged. "Oh! I almost forgot, I have your sketchbook thing."

Hiccup felt his heart drum. Astrid had his sketchbook? The same sketchbook with a entire page of nothing but her? He silently prayed to someone somewhere that she hadn't looked through it.

"You left the other day and I've been carrying it with me since. I didn't know where you lived or anything so…I just hoped I'd see you around here again." She shrugged.

_Funny, because I was doing the same thing. _

"Oh, thanks." Hiccup said. He opened hands to take it but she held on to it. He swallowed.

"Hiccup," Astrid asked. She had that 'we-need-to-talk' tone that he'd heard a million times before. But unlike this father she used it softer, less intensely, with a lighter stare that didn't make him wish he could turn invisible, but instead made him feel like he was going to spontaneously combust.

"Did you look in it?"

"Yeah." Astrid said. She fingered the edge of the cover. "You're a really good artist."

"Oh, um…thank you." Hiccup swallowed. Did they turn the heat on overdrive? Why was it so fucking hot in here?

Astrid opened her mouth, shut it, then opened it again but bit her lip. "Why did you draw me?"

Her face melted him. There was nothing even remotely close to disgust or dislike. It was curiosity, fair interest, and whatever else was there that made him feel like pudding. Any moment now he could collapse into a gelatinous puddle on the floor.

"I-I…uh, well, I mean…" Hiccup chocked on every excuse.

_ Because your beautiful and I can't stop thinking about you. _

"No one's ever drawn me before." Astrid said. She ran her hand down the book's spine. She smiled, "It's sweet."

Hiccup was embarrassed and knew that she knew it. But she wasn't pushing the fact. She handed him back his sketchbook and he took it with trembling hands.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be creepy or anything." Hiccup said, eye on the book.

"It's…weird, I'll admit, but it's also flattering." Astrid said. "Is something wrong? I'm sorry I looked at them, I just couldn't help myself."

"It's fine." Hiccup said quickly. "I'm not used to…not being made fun of for drawing things."

"Why? Why would you get made fun of for drawing? You're great at it."

"It's was more because of what I didn't do. Like football." Hiccup shrugged.

"Oh," Astrid nodded. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about. Sports aren't for everyone. I mean, if history was full of sport stars then we wouldn't have people like Leonardo Di Vinci or uh, Salvador Dali, or Shakespeare. The world is full of different talents that all make the world work."

"Thanks." Hiccup said.

"I've got class soon, but, do you want to meet back here tomorrow?" Astrid asked and for a moment he was sure that he had misheard her.

"Uh, I work Thursdays." Hiccup said quickly. "And Tuesdays, but other than that I don't have much of a life."

_Why did you tell her that?_

"Friday?" Astrid asked. "Around four?"

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"Awesome, I'll see you."

Hiccup held his sketchbook in his hands and watched her zip up her coat, sling her bag over her shoulder, and leave. His heart was beating so fast that he felt like running back to his apartment as fast as he could, or running anywhere until his cheeks were frozen and he couldn't breathe.

_Do I have a date? …at the library?_

XXX

I love the idea of Hiccup drawing Astrid so much - because I totally believe that he has. Thanks for reading, leave a review if you'd like

Also - side note - I pictured this story happening where I go to school. It's an old river town on the Mississippi in Southeastern Missouri. I also liked the idea of them coming from complete opposite ends of the country and meeting in the middle.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks again for the positive reviews! I'm really glad you all like this story so well. I was skeptical about it at first, so thank you!

Chapter 5: Late Night Snack

Thursday was slower than usual. Hiccup kept spying the time and groaned as the minutes stretched into hours. There was a fist in his throat that clenched every time he looked at the clock. Tomorrow, he had plans with Astrid. That thought was so foreign to him that it didn't matter how many times he repeated it to himself.

"Hey," boomed his boss. He leaned his balding head out of his office door. "Six to nine, Saturday night, want it?"

"Sure." Hiccup nodded. As much as he dreaded it he needed the money.

But before overtime, he had plans with Astrid.

That night he laid on his air mattress staring at the thumping ceiling. It still felt unreal. But this is what he moved for, wasn't it? A fresh start? A clean slate? To be in a place where people didn't automatically judge him for being a klutz, a screw-up, or whatever else they called him.

People in Berk _looked _at him like they assumed he'd break the first thin he touched. It was like pity, disgust, and dislike. He hated it. But here, no one cared who he was or where he came from.

And then there was Astrid. They way she looked at him was like she didn't care about what he'd done or what other people thought about it.

Astrid.

He had plans with Astrid tomorrow.

Hiccup tried to swallow. When he thought about her it felt like there was a fist in his throat. He couldn't sleep. He wasn't even tired. But he must have fallen asleep because the sudden crashing of something on the floor above him shook him awake. Groaning, he got up, showered, dressed, and waited on his couch with his sketchbook in his hands. He tried to draw something but nothing came.

As four o'clock finally rolled around Hiccup drove to the library. It was too cold to walk very far. And the weather was starting to effect his leg. It was sore and he tried his best to hid the limp. He went through the main doors and scanned the room for her blonde hair. He didn't see her. He sat down and for a panicked moment he feared she wouldn't show. And that fear didn't diminish as the time slowly ticked by.

Five minutes past four.

Eight minutes past four.

Ten minutes past four.

Fifteen minutes past four.

Twenty minutes past four.

Hiccup got up and scanned the bookshelf. He draw a hand down a colorful spine when he heard quick footsteps approach. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see Astrid bent over, hands on knees, panting.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Astrid gasped. She waved her hand then straightened herself. She plopped down in a nearby chair. She unzipped her coat and threw it beside her. She was dressed in sweats and her braided hair was still wet.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked. He sat back down across from her.

"I was at the gym and Coach stopped to talk. Then I was running late but I needed to shower because I was sweaty and gross. I'm sorry, I should have given you my number so I could have text you."

"It's okay. Coach?"

"I was on the track team my freshman year. It took up too much time so I quite. He's trying to get me to join again." Astrid said. "Hey, give me your phone. I'll add me."

Hiccup reached into his pocket and produced is phone. Astrid took it from his hand and deft fingertips she added herself into his contact list.

"There. I sent myself a text so I'll have yours too." Astrid sighed. She handed it back to him.

He glanced down before it vanished into his pocket. The screen was of a started conversation, with Astrid Hofferson, with the single message reading _text_. The phone dropped into his pocket. He had her number in his phone.

"My lungs are freezing. You want some coffee?" Astrid asked. She stood up, hand in her purse.

"Sure." Hiccup nodded. "I'll go get it, you stay and catch your breathe."

She hesitated, money in hand, and then said "Okay."

Hiccup came back in a few minutes with two hot cups.

"Thank you." She took it gratefully, and inhaled the steam, sighing relief.

"So you played track?"

Astrid smiled. "You don't really _play _track. You run."

"I really wouldn't know the difference."

Astrid didn't stop smiling and started to detail him on running track. They talked about high school, the differences between small town Berk on the east coast and overpopulated southern California. They talked, and talked, shared stories and ideas. For all his nervous anticipation this was surprisingly easy. Astrid made him nervous but when he was with her everything seemed easy and simple. And time flew by so fast.

"It's getting late." Astrid sighed.

"You want a ride home?" Hiccup offered. He felt that first tightening in his throat. "Um, I've actually got some homework I need to do upstairs. But, thank you." Astrid fidgeted.

_Sounds like an excuse. _

Hiccup nodded and said his simple goodbye, and Astrid hers, and they parted ways. Hiccup looked back over his shoulder before he left so see Astrid's blonde head vanish up the stairs to the computer lab. He felt so warm that when he went outside the cold air smacked his face like frozen blade. The sun was going down and the temperature was dropping. He ran to his car and was thankful for the cover from the wind.

On his way back to his apartment his car huffed, puffed, and groaned. A block from his place the heater gave out altogether. At least it still ran.

Saturday came and worked, like he'd assumed, sucked. He was grateful when nine o'clock signaled the end to his torment. He clocked out and left before his boss could offer more overtime that Hiccup couldn't turn down.

His old car stuttered, but started. The streets held the usual Saturday night college-town traffic. Cars headed to the bars, to the restaurants, to the theater, and everywhere else, it seemed. He watched people on the sidewalks absently, until one blonde head caught his attention, and realization hit him.

Astrid was walking down the street, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her red peacoat, alone. She wasn't paying attention to the people walking around her. She wore heeled boats that looked more than uncomfortable to walk in. Hiccup changed lanes to be closer to her. He thought about honking, like so many college kids do, but he thought better of it. He rolled down his window and called to her.

"Astrid!"

She didn't respond. Was it just him or did she roll her eyes?

"Astrid!"

She visibly sighed, her chest heaved up and her lips parted to let out the breath, but she still didn't respond. Was she ignoring him on purpose? Was he just her library-friend?

Hiccup was looking at her and almost missed the car stopped in front of him. The light had changed and the break lights glared at him like they knew he'd been distracted.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called again. He feared she'd keep walking.

"Good god," She groaned, stomping her foot as she turned, lips twisted to spat something nasty, but as her eyes settled on Hiccup her face broke into a warm smile.

"Do you want a ride?" Hiccup asked. Although he didn't know what a girl like her would think about riding inside a car like his.

She smiled, and looked briefly across the road, and ran across it to his passenger's side. She popped the door open and slide inside, not minding the fast food debris, and rubbed her hands together.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was you." Astrid breathed into her cupped hands. "It's so fucking cold."

"Yeah." Hiccup nodded. He hadn't heard her curse before.

"Thanks, by the way."

"It's nothing."

"Turn left on Broadway." Astrid instructed.

Hiccup obeyed. "You live by the campus?"

"No, but I'm starved. Hungry? My treat. I got paid tonight."

"Sure."

They drove down Broadway to the lit-up McDonald's. They ordered and sat in the back beside the darkened window. Across the street was Capaha park. The yellow arches reflected off the dark lake.

In the light he could see the heavier makeup around her eyes. The black was smeared a bit at the edges, a soft gold glitter sparkled along her cheekbones, her lips were faded red. Her hair had been done up but had fallen through the evening. She looked exhausted. He'd never waitresses but he heard it could be a rough job.

"What brings you out so late?" Astrid asked.

"Overtime."

"Ah, I thought so. You smell like smoke and sweat, and leather?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." His self-consciousness just hit the roof.

"Don't worry about it. I kind of like it."

"What about you? Work?"

"Yeah. Did you hurt yourself at work today?"

"No, why?"

"Because you're limping."

Hiccup swallowed hard. Astrid pointed under the table to his left leg. She took a large bit of her hamburger.

"Oh, uh, no, that's…normal." Hiccup shrugged. She looked at him, mouth full, her brow raised in question. "I-It's a prosthetic. The sudden weather shift is taking it's toll."

"What happened?"

That fist in his throat clenched. "Out house burnt down when I was fifteen. One of the rafters crushed my leg."

"That's horrible."

"Eh, it's not so bad. Nothing we can do about it now."

"How much is missing?"

"Just below the knee down." Hiccup motioned to his left leg, indicating with a finger where the plastic started.

Astrid ducked beneath the table, albeit a little clumsily, and he could feel her eyes on his pant legs. "They look the same."

"That's because when I stopped growing my dad opted for a prosthetic that would mirror my other leg. They did this whole mold thing, it was weird. But at least now my legs look the normal in pants. The others where like pirate peg legs." Hiccup tried to laugh.

And if she felt disturbed by his fake leg she hit it well behind her curiosity. She kept asking him questions, about his leg, about walking, about the effects of weather. He asked until Hiccup failed to swallow a yawn.

"It's getting late." Astrid nodded.

Their food was eaten, their drinks empty, the drunk crowd was filing in with their munchies. Hiccup and Astrid headed back out into the cold October, slide into her car, and she directed him to her apartment. She lived in an upscale and clean little subdivision, in a gray stone apartment building with tinted windows. It was much nicer than his place but he wouldn't tell her that. She could tell that by his car.

He pulled up and parked right outside the front door. She dug in a pocket for her keys and pause with her hand on the door's handle.

"Thank you, Hiccup. For everything."

"It's really nothing. I would have felt guilty for letting you walk all the way here in this weather."

Astrid's smile was exhausted. She leaned over the console, abandoning the handle, and kissed him on the cheek. Before he could register the soft peck she was out of his door and through hers.

X


	6. Chapter 6

So…when updating this I accidentally posted the wrong chapter 6...luckily someone caught it and told me lol - Thanks so much, MegaShark!

Here's the real chapter 6, enjoy!

Chapter 6: I love a Rainy Night (Part 1)

Hiccup woke up on Sunday morning to a beeping that he didn't instantly recognize. It took a moment to realize it was his phone.

One new message from Astrid Hofferson.

_ Busy? Library 2?_

In a panic, he looked at the time. Eleven thirty.

_Sure. See you there._

Hiccup felt the little text bubble leave his finger tips and soar through the air, to wherever she was. His heart thumped and thumped again when her next reply came back almost instantaneously.

A smile face.

Hiccup pushed himself out of bed and hoped that the shower's hot water was working. It wasn't really but it was good enough. Kind of like everything else. Just good enough. He tried to scrub off the smell of the shop.

_I kind of like it. _

She'd said that. Astrid had said it, hadn't she? The more he played her words over in his head the more dreamlike it became. Maybe it hadn't happened at all.

At two, Hiccup was climbing the stairs into the library. It felt a little less cold but still frigid. Astrid met him at their usual spot, two coffees in hand, hair slung over her shoulder in a sloppy twist. They sat, they talked.

The next week went by with the same routine. They would text, back and forth, simple things, questions and answers. They had coffee together from the library's machine. Astrid was having difficulty with her Frankenstein paper. Hiccup had never read the book but offered to read her paper. He was at a loss when it came to what it all meant and they laughed over the vague study guide her professor had given them.

October came to an end and November came with a cold blast. Friday was the first of the month and Hiccup regrettably had overtime. Outside the sky was blue but he'd heard the weatherman call for rain. On the way out of his apartment he heard his phone beep. He reached for it, and saw Astrid's name briefly before the cold phone slipped from his grasp. It crashed onto the steps and tumbled down onto the floor's landing.

He stood there, aghast at his luck, and went down to get it. The screen had cracked. Little thin spider web lines darted every which way. He tried to unlock it to see her message, but the screen wouldn't respond.

"Great." Hiccup groaned. "Just…fucking great."

Outside he heard the distant rumble of thunder. His car coughed all the way to work. The shop, at least, was warm, but the evening cold was a bitter slap. He ran to he car as rain started to pit-pat on the pavement. He slammed the door and the rain came down harder and harder. He turned the key but the car groaned.

"Come on," Hiccup patted the dashboard, stroked it gently, wishing all well words. "Come on, you can do it."

It groaned again, coughed, but started. He pulled out onto the road and headed back to his place. It was loud and depressing but it was warm. He couldn't feel his fingers on the wheel and had to tightened his grip to turn. The rain and the dark made his view of anything nearly impossible. The street lights helped, other cars helped, but he had to go slow.

His car coughed, jerked, and coughed again. He felt the shutter than ran through the wheel.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," Hiccup said. He reached up to the dash and the car groaned with a dying wheeze. It gasped, and went silent. He managed to steer it to the roadside. He slammed his head against the steering wheel and shouted. With all the ran and sloshing of cars going around him no one would hear him.

He slumped in his seat. What now? It was a long walk back to his place. A very long walk. He'd get pneumonia and rust.

He was sunk in his sulking and didn't hear the gentle rapping on his window until it was a thudding. Hiccup gave it a sideways glance and jerked his head upward when he saw Astrid knocking on his passenger side window. Her hair was soaked and stuck to her face.

"What are you doing?" She yelled so he would hear him.

He shrugged and motioned to his now broken car. Hiccup got out and was soaked to the bone before he reached the sidewalk. He felt the water from the gutter sponge into his shoes.

"My place is close, why don't you just come over and out of the rain?" Astrid shouted through the downpour. "You'll get sick if you stay here."

She was holding a brown paper bag in her arm that was quickly disintegrating. Hiccup nodded and left his broken car on the roadside. He followed her the few block to her place in an awkward silence. He didn't know what to say and was glad when she filled in the gaps. She told him of her first car. It had been a hand-me-down from her parents. It had died on her more times that she could remember.

"But it never died in a convenient location or time, oh lord no, it was always on horrible weather days or when everyone else was busy and I was stuck on my own." Astrid was saying as they entered her building's tiny lobby.

They were both soaked and left little puddles on the elevator's floor. But it looked as though they weren't the first ones to come in from the rain. At her door she reached around with her free hand to the purse that hung from her shoulder.

"Let me hold that for you." Hiccup gestured toward the wet grocery bag. She gave him a short look of surprise but handed it to him. With her two hands she quickly found her keys and unlocked the door. He walked in after her.

The rain splattered against the living room window with such a rapid violence that it sounded like hail. There might have been sleet mixed in. It felt cold enough. Astrid shed her coat and draped it over a kitchen chair. She kicked off her boots and headed to the window.

"It's a mess out there, Hiccup. Just stay here for the night." Astrid suggested as she pulled the curtains closed.

Hiccup stood near the door, her rain-soaked grocery bag in his arms, pulled between accepting her offer and walking on in, or declining and calling a cab. Which reminded him that his phone was currently out of order. Astrid appeared beside him and shut the door, turning the lock and sliding the deadbolt.

"Just set that anywhere. Are you hungry or anything?" Astrid said. She motioned toward the small kitchen.

"Oh, um…no, I'm good, but thanks." Hiccup shrugged. He leaned over to the island counter and slid the paper bag onto it. He hadn't intended to but when he set it down he glanced inside, carrots, orange juice, eggs.

He copied her example and hung his wet jacket over a kitchen chair so it could drip onto the linoleum. He pulled off his boots and left them by the door. Astrid mumbled something about being soaked and vanished into another room.

He just felt…_weird _about staying here. They'd talked, hung out at the library, and shared a late night fast food dinner. And now he was standing along in her apartment. He just couldn't figure her out.

Her apartment was clean and organized, total opposite of his own, which was always littered with clothes and _stuff_. But Astrid had a place for everything.

He reached into his pocket for his phone. He pressed the screen button to check the time, fifteen past ten. Astrid came strolling back in, wet hair tied back, changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt, holding a blanket and pillow in her arms. She plopped them down onto the sofa.

"The bathroom's right through there. I've got some sweat pants if your want to change." Astrid said as she stood back up and poised her hands on her hips.

"Oh, you know, Astrid, I should probably go." Hiccup said. He tried to further reason his excuse but she stopped him.

"Hiccup, it's cold and rainy and late. Just stay here. It's totally fine." Astrid said. "Or do you just not want to stay here with me?"

"What? No, that's not it!" Hiccup said quickly. She had that look on her face, like she was hearing more than he thought he was saying. "I mean, it's just, well,"

"Hiccup, it's fine." Astrid said with a slight smile. She vanished again into the other room and reemerged with a pair of unisex sweats that bore the university's name in bold red letters down one leg.

He thanks her, and ducked into the bathroom. Dry clothes would be nice. He pulled off his wet pants and threw them into the tub. His shirt was damp but not terribly. In a quick decision, he left it on. He pulled on the dry pants and washed his face and hands. The hot water was refreshing on his chilled skin.

Even her bathroom was clean. Though the fixtures were aged she had kept them in good looks. Yellow and blue towels were folded and stacked neatly above the toilet. She kept scented soaps and oils on the rim of the bathtub.

Back in the living room, Astrid was standing in the kitchen, placing a red tea kettle on the stove. She pulled two mugs from the cabinet and readied them with bags. Hiccup didn't mean to notice, but he did, that she had left her bra in the bedroom. The cupped formation of her breasts was gone and they moved freely. He tore his eyes away from them before she could notice. He didn't want to get a mug to the temple.

"I'm not really tired." Astrid sighed. "Are you?"

"Not really, no." Hiccup shook his head.

"You want to watch a movie instead?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup shrugged, but said "Sure."

He felt silly for having to think about it. Saying 'no' would have been ridiculous. He sat on the sofa as Astrid thumbed through a binder full of discs.

"How do you feel about The Avengers?" Astrid asked, holding the DVD around her finger, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I like it." Hiccup nodded.

Astrid smiled and put it in the machine. She jogged to turn off the lights with a quick finger.

For a moment the room was bathed in darkness. Hiccup heard her bare feet pad across the floor, along the sofa in front of him, and the screen lit up with its blue-black glow as she turned the switch on the standing lamp.

She went back to the kitchen and brought the two mugs of tea to the little coffee table.

"I know it's not coffee, but he, why not switch thing up?"

It was warm in his hands and in his throat. "Thanks."

She plopped down beside him and left just a small space between them. A few strands of her golden hair toppled over her shoulder and grazed his arm. They watched the movie in the same manner. Hiccup was hyperaware of every movement she made. Several times he thought to slide his arm between her and the sofa, but each time he convinced himself not to, for some self-conscious reason or another.

What was the worst that could happen? She could push him away. She could kick him out. She could completely ignore it as if it didn't happen. Like the rain.

The movie ended and Astrid was yawning. Hiccup felt it, too. Astrid got up and he felt the immediate depression in the air from where she'd been. She turned off the TV without removing the disc. She lazily switched off the lamp and once again the room was purged into blackness.

Hiccup heard her bare footsteps cross to her bedroom door where she paused. As his eyes adjusted he could make out her silhouette in the rain-light.

"I'm sorry the couch isn't very big, or comfortable." Astrid said.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Hiccup shrugged. It was involuntary. Astrid couldn't see him in the darkness and somehow that fact gave him an odd inflation of confidence. He continued to sit on the couch, expecting her to vanish into her room, but she lingered in the doorway.

"Goodnight, then." Astrid said after a short pause.

"Goodnight." Hiccup answered. He reached to spread the blanket over the sofa but he caught the pale shadow of Astrid still in the doorway. It was making him nervous.

"You know, Hiccup, the bed is big enough for two." Astrid said.

X

This chapter ended up being a lot longer than the others so I broke it up into two parts, lol, I know, a cliff hanger, right?


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter's making the most of the "M" rating. And yes, these two chapters have inhaled that one-shot I wrote which was the real inspiration for this whole story, lol. So, enjoy!

Chapter 7: I Love a Rainy Night (Part 2)

"I'm sorry the couch isn't very big, or comfortable." Astrid said.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Hiccup shrugged. It was involuntary. Astrid couldn't see him in the darkness and somehow that fact gave him an odd inflation of confidence. He continued to sit on the couch, expecting her to vanish into her room, but she lingered in the doorway.

"Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight." Hiccup answered. He reached to spread the blanket over the sofa but he caught the pale shadow of Astrid still in the doorway. It was making him nervous.

"You know, Hiccup, the bed is big enough for two." Astrid said.

He tried to form an answer but Hiccup seemed to have lost his ability to speak. Hopefully in the dark Astrid wouldn't see him gaping at her like she'd lost her mind. He sat frozen with his mouth open as her soft footsteps drifted back into the bedroom.

What should he do? He wasn't prepared for these kinds of sudden 'yes or no' immediate decisions. Wait, what the hell was he thinking? _What _decision was there to make? Astrid, a beautiful woman, had just invited him, Hiccup, into her bedroom. Every second he spent _thinking about it _caused the invitation to drift further away. And declining would be rejecting. What kind of moron rejected Astrid?

In a panic, spawned by the fear of accidentally rejecting her, he jumped up. Time was ticking.

_Make up your fucking mind!_

Hiccup pushed himself toward Astrid's room and stood in the darkened doorway. Unlike the living room there was no thin curtain letting in the pale street light. The room was black. He tiptoed inside, feeling out in front of him for anything he might bump into.

He took several steps, not finding anything, when he heard Astrid's whisper.

"Take a step and a half to your left."

He jumped at her sudden instruction. He took that step and tried to measure a half of one when his knee touched the squishy bedcover. He reached for it and inched his way closer and gradually sat on the edge. He heard Astrid slide across the sheets. He felt his way into the warm spot that she'd left.

Her bed was more comfortably than the couch and much more so than his air mattress. But his apartment was far from his mind with Astrid being so close. He felt the indention in the bed that her body made. He heard the gentle in and out of her breath and he could feel the shuffling of her skin underneath the soft sheets.

Hiccup lied in bed for what felt like a long time, unable to sleep with Astrid so close to him, when her sudden movement jerked him out of whatever half-sleep he'd been in. His first absent thought was about the time when it was shoved from his mine with the alien pressure of her warm hand on his chest.

Astrid was curled against him, sandwiching his arm between them, her soft breath heating his collarbone. Along his forearm he could fee her breasts through her shirt. The soft malleable lumps pressed against him without prejudice or intention.

A clap of thunder shook the windows, rattling the glass, and brightening the outside sky with a sudden brilliance. In the brief illumination Hiccup saw the white outline of the window, the dark shadow of an armoire, and the sleeping lump next to him. The sound must have woken Astrid. Drowsy, she inhaled and stretched her back, which only pressed her chest into his arm, and released her breath into the black room.

"Are you awake?" Astrid barely whispered.

"Yeah." Hiccup answered in the same quiet tone.

Astrid didn't say anything for a moment. "Thanks for staying."

"You kind of made me." Hiccup smiled. He felt Astrid scoot a little closer. Her forehead was resting against his chin. To have her so close felt…wonderful, but absolutely terrifying. His heart felt like it was having a seizure in his chest.

"I've never liked storms." Astrid whispered.

Hiccup wondered if the darkness gave her the same confidence that it gave him.

"I don't particularly like them either." Hiccup said. He reached up and placed his hand over hers. Compared to hers, his was cold. He held his breath and when she didn't throw his hand away he exhaled.

For what happened next he was as unprepared for as anything else that had happened that evening. Astrid moved, off the bed, and Hiccup had just felt her hair tickle his cheek when her lips came down to meet his. Truthfully, not counting the quick cheek kiss she'd given him, he's only kissed one girl before. So when Astrid took the lead he didn't complain.

They kissed for an exalting moment, one he wished would never end, and she broke it only long enough to push her body over his. She held herself up with her hands and knees and gradually brought her body down to rest on top of his. Her hair fell around his face and licked his cheeks. She brought her lips back down to his but this time her kiss was harder. Her breath was quicker.

The pressure of her body on his was amazing. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands. When she'd climbed onto him, he'd let go of her hand, and it had fallen to her waist. He brought the other up to mirror it. She entangled her legs with his and Hiccup panicked. The excitement between his legs had to be obvious in the unrestricting sweatpants. And Astrid _had _to be aware of it. But, was it just him or was she softly pressing her hips into his? Was she doing it on purpose?

Astrid parted her lips from his and pushed herself into a sitting position. Hiccup left his hands loosely on her hips and felt the panic of inexperience. Had he done something wrong?

"Is this alright?" Astrid whispered.

What did she mean? Hiccup repositioned his hands on her waist. "Yeah,"

She was moving but her hips remained in their promiscuous position over his. Hiccup felt the fabric of her t-shirt being pulled from underneath his fingers and replaced with smooth warm skin. Hiccup flattened his palms against her and sharply inhaled. He heard the soft _plat _of the shirt hitting the floor.

"Astrid," Hiccup said quickly.

"Yeah?" She mumbled as she brought her hands down to his chest. She laid them flat against his shirt and fingered it, urging it upward, and slid them underneath the hem and onto his bare stomach.

"I-I've never…" Hiccup stuttered. He couldn't think straight with her hands touching him, not with her bare chest so close, not with her sitting on top of his erection.

Astrid removed one hand from under his shirt and found his lips, bringing her lips down to his, and hovering over them.

"I kind of figured." Astrid said, he could hear that sly smile on her lips. She raised up, bringing her hands together over his chest, and her silence was deafening. "Do you want to stop?"

Hiccup felt the panic of another impossible decision. But this time he didn't waste valuable time with thinking. "No."

With his permission, Astrid pulled his shirt up, and he adjusted himself to make it easier for her to push it up and pull it over his head. She came down to kiss him, pressing her chest into his, and the sensation sent shivers through him. He hands rubbed her back, which he didn't think about. It _felt _right. He wandered over her body, back and neck and thighs, and anything else he could reach.

She ran her hands through his hair, tugging at it, raking her nails along his scalp. The subtle sounds that escaped from her mouth were beyond the put-on pornography ones. It was more erotic and inciting than anything he could have imagined. Involuntarily, he joined her in gentle pelvic thrusts, inventing a shared rhythm.

Astrid took the next step, sliding her hand to the waistline of his sweats, and once again Hiccup was filled with panic. He'd told her about his leg but hearing and seeing were two different things. But he stopped himself from pulling her hand away. Why was he trying to find a reason not to?

_Relax_, he told himself, _just…fucking relax. _

Astrid broke their lips apart and raised up to grip the elastic waist of the sweats. Hiccup, with the aid of his darkness-induced confidence boost, took the initiative to let his hands wander upward to her chest. Her breasts were silk under his fingers. She let out a sharp exhale as his finger graced across what he assumed was a nipple. He repeated the motion just to hear that sound.

With his touch she let go of his pant's waist. But in one fluid motion she repositioned her legs and pulled him upward and slide underneath him. He came down on her with more force that he wished he had. How did she even _do _that?

Being underneath him, she slide her hand along his jaw, his shoulder, traced her nails along the back of his neck, and tangled her fist in his hair. She pushed his lips to hers and retook them, moaning into his mouth as she hugged her legs around his hips, pushing his groin into hers.

Hiccup's panic hadn't subsided. With her on top she was in control. She knew what to do. But he had no idea what the hell he was doing.

Astrid reached down to his sweats again and slide her hand underneath the waistband. She traced the skin on his hip with delicate nails and sent shivers radiating from the touch. He breathed into her mouth, letting her win his tongue, and focused on not collapsing onto her. He slide his hand behind her neck, fighting with her mess of hair, to keep himself up.

She broke the kiss and finagled herself out from under him and for a moment Hiccup was terrified that he'd done something wrong. He froze and he heard the sound of fabric against skin and the light thump on the floor. That fist seemed to be squeezing the air out if his lungs.

She came back to him and Hiccup felt his heart race faster than he thought possible. His hands found her bare hips first. The smooth skin of her thighs against his palms was incredible.

But his panic returned when her hands gripped the waistband of his sweats.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked, a bit breathless.

"Yeah," Hiccup said, surprised at the breathlessness of his own voice.

"Then what is it?" Astrid asked. He could hear the irritation in her voice.

Hiccup tried to formulate words but failed in the time Astrid had allowed.

"Do you not want to fuck me?"

"Yes, but," Hiccup tried to speak. He reached for his pant leg.

"Hiccup, I know about your leg. It's fine. I don't care."

"But-"

"I'm fucking you because _I like you_, not because I assume you have two feet."

He heard the slap of skin on skin, like she had thrown her arms and let them fall back to her sides. Hiccup didn't know what to say. He stumbled over several words before Astrid silenced him.

"Do you still want to?" Astrid asked, this time less angry. She'd retuned to that whisper she'd started with.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded. He helped her pull the pant leg down from his artificial limb. The abrupt stop of hair and skin to smooth plastic and metal was still a stark shift for him. He couldn't imagine what she must me thinking.

But whatever she thought about it, she kept it to herself, because the discarded pants hadn't plopped on the floor a second before she was on top of him, pressing herself down onto him, easing out a moan he didn't know he could make. She had made a sound too, and he wanted to hear it again, and again. She poised her hands on either side of his chest and began to work her hips over his. He reached up to her shoulders and trailed his hands down her hands and held onto her sides, feeling the bounce of her breasts with every thrust.

He had masturbated but it was nothing compared to the real thing. Later he would worry about things like how many times had Astrid done this, and with how many, but for the moment he let the temporary ecstasy take over. He added his own thrust to Astrid's and felt it coming closer and closer. Her breath was ragged and mixing with erratic gasps and he could _feel _it. And for a unbelievable moment it erupted and deflated.

His entire body felt like it had been wrung through a wringer. Astrid lifted herself off and collapsed next to him. But she didn't stay for long. She left a kiss on his cheek and scooted off the bed. He heard her feet on the floor and watched her shadow cross the room to the doorway. Her shadow was pale but he could see the outline of her shoulders, her hips, her arms.

The bathroom door closed and a light burst on underneath it. Hiccup rubbed his face with his slightly trembling hands.

Did that really just happen? It did. He'd had sex. Well, in honesty he hadn't done much. _She'd_ had sex with him. How did this even happen? How were these thing _suppose _to happen? Hiccup swung his legs of the edge of the bed. He could use a trip to the bathroom, too, even thought he'd gone before he'd come to bed. Was that an effect of sex?

Hiccup traded Astrid for the bathroom, and they shared a kiss in the doorway. Her hand rested on his cheek and her thumbed traced his jaw. Lightening lit up the living room and for a brief moment he saw her, all of her. But as soon as it came it was gone and he was left with a memory.

"Was it everything you thought it would be?" Astrid whispered.

"It was incredible." Hiccup whispered back.

Hiccup cleaned himself off and under the cover of darkness he came back to the bed. He crawled onto it and hadn't settled onto the pillow when Astrid pulled the discarded blanket over them both. She rested her head on his shoulder as thunder shook the window.

"You want to come over every time it storms?" Astrid yawned.

Hiccup couldn't hide the shy smile that twisted his lips. How on earth did he stumble upon such a wonderful girl?

X

I honesty thought about not having them have sex yet, but then, I went with it. I mean, not sexing would have built the sexual tension between Hiccup and Astrid - but if there was sex then I would have plenty of time to build on other things. Like what, you ask? Well, I guess you'll just have to keep reading lol


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the positive reviews! I really do appreciate it!

I mentioned on tumblr that this next few weeks are going to be strenuous - I've got finals, a portfolio and a chapbook project due so those are my priorities. But I had some time tonight to finalize this chapter, but it's up in the air when the next updates are happening.

Chapter 8: The Morning After

Hiccup was surrounded by such comfort and warmth that he hadn't the need to move. Soft puffy clouds hugged his entire body like loose cloths. But the dreamy flood of sleep ebbed and Hiccup slowly returned to the conscious plane. He squirmed beneath the blankets and suddenly became very aware of his nakedness.

This ceiling wasn't his. This blanket wasn't his. He sat up quick and the previously night resounded in his mind. He'd slept at Astrid's last night. His car had broken and like a miracle Astrid had appeared through the rain. They'd gone back to her place. And here he was. Naked, with his boxes and t-shirt crumpled on the floor.

His brain was racing as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

_ He'd had sex last night. _

He pulled his discarded boxers up his legs.

_ He'd had sex with Astrid. _

He pulled the t-shirt over his head.

_ He'd has sex with Astrid last night. _

Hiccup shook his head and ran fingers through his hair. It seemed so unreal. Last night he'd been a virgin. Now he wasn't. Honestly…he didn't feel much different. Maybe it had all been a dream. He pushed himself off the bed and headed into the main room. Astrid stood at the counter, frying pan tipped in hand, sliding sizzling eggs onto two plates. She glanced over her shoulder and a smile broke over her face.

"Good morning."

"Hey," Hiccup swallowed. The smell of breakfast was making his mouth water. He could see buttered toast and sliced oranges on the plates and the entire space smelled like coffee.

"Coffee?" Astrid asked, holding a percolator and pouring it into a mug.

"Sure." Hiccup nodded. "Black."

She poured a second. She dumped three little blue packets into her mug and a large gulp of half and half. She set his mug and plate on the island and set hers next to it. She sat down and a bit sheepishly, he followed her. What was the protocol for these situations? He'd never thought about it because never in a thousand years did he think that he'd be in one.

Astrid was wearing sweats from the day before but her blonde hair was wet and combed down her back. Her shoulders were exposed in her thin-strapped tank top and bright blue bra straps were obvious but not a concern. Her skin was radiant, smooth and pale with a subtle peachy undertone.

God, how was this even happening? Seeing her this morning was proof that it had really happened but it still felt like a dream.

"Uh, thanks, for all this." Hiccup swallowed. "It's been so long since I've had real food. It's delicious."

"It's no problem." Astrid smiled, a chunk of egg dangled from her fork.

Her eyes were incredible. Had they always been that bright and energetic? Her lips were full and welcoming. She wasn't wearing makeup but even without it she was beyond beautiful.

They ate, made small talk, but mostly ate. When both plates were empty Astrid placed them into the sink.

"Have anything planned for today?" she sighed as she turned on the hot water.

"Oh, not much, I'll have to do something about my car. And my phone." Hiccup shrugged. He could feel the dead weight of his useless cell in the pocket of the sweats. "Speaking of, is there a Verizon in town?"

"The like phone store?"

"Yeah."

"I think there's one in the mall. I could go with you, if you want."

"You don't have anything to do?"

"No, I don't have to work tonight or tomorrow and I've got my homework done. So, yeah, I'm totally free." Astrid shrugged. "Unless, you'd rather do it alone, or with someone else, or something."

Hiccup swallowed. "No, no, it sounds like fun."

Hiccup went to the bathroom and closed the door. He leaned against the counter and stared at himself in the mirror. His hair went everywhere. He was skinny and gangly and freckles dotted across his nose. He wasn't what he'd call _ugly_, but he wasn't near handsome like the boys Astrid should be hanging around.

Sighing, Hiccup spun on his heel to leave his reflection behind. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it onto a pile on the floor. He couldn't help but noticed the discarded underwear by the door, the very…feminine underwear.

Hiccup turned on the shower and while the water warmed he reached down to pick up the underwear. There was almost nothing to them, all see-through red lace, no coverage. But he was guessing that coverage wasn't the purpose. Were these what Astrid had been wearing last night?

Hiccup realized that he hadn't actually seen her naked. It had been dark. She could have painted her face and he wouldn't have noticed.

Astrid probably looked really good in red.

The bathroom was filling with stream. It rolled up the walls to the ceiling and clouded the mirror. Hiccup stripped his pants and stepped into the hot water. The water pressure was much better than his apartment. The water pounded on his back and he let it melt out his troubles and woman-related confusion.

This was twice now that he'd been naked in Astrid's apartment. The whole thing was beyond insane. Even still, standing in her shower, he was in disbelief. Is it possible that it _had _been a dream? It had been late. He'd been exhausted. And it was dark…it could have been a dream. But if it was then why did wake up naked?

He could _ask _but that seems ridiculous.

_Hey, Astrid, did we have sex last night? _Yeah, that's not stupid. Not at all.

He assumed that one day, eventually, he'd find a girl and maybe get married, and _most likely _have sex. But that day always seem far, far, far away. _Really _far away. And he never thought it would be a girl like Astrid. It was sad, and maybe a little bit conditioned from all the negative talk aimed at his pitiful love life, but his romantic future was always bleak.

_A weirdo_. That's the girl his dad had said he'd bring home. His father expected him to. Hiccup groaned into his hands and scrubbed the hot water over his reddened skin. He picked up the shampoo from the caddy. He wanted to be clean but he'd smell like a girl. Not just any girl, Astrid. And she did smell nice. Really nice.

Saturday rolled by in a pleasant blur. He'd called the two truck and had his broken down car taken to a local body shop. Astrid has escorted him down there, to Carl's Auto Body, where the middle-aged mechanic had almost laughed at him.

Sure, he could fix it. But it'd break down in another month, maybe two.

After that they'd taken a cab to the mall where Hiccup was relieved to know his phone was insured. His relief was mirrored in the weight of his wallet. He'd put off turning his knew phone on. He'd gone a day without it and it felt nice to not be so…connected.

Astrid insisted on talking a lap around the mall before going back. It was a mall after all, she said, and they were as much made for wasting time as for money. They walked, talked, and it felt great to be so casual. Was this a normal thing for her? Did sex mean that they were friends now?

Hiccup couldn't help but notice how other people looked at Astrid. Men's eyes lingered, too long for his taste, and a few watched her shamelessly. Girls looked her up and down and a few rolled their eyes and shifted their shoulders. She paid them no mind but it didn't lift the heaviness it left in his gut.

Was his jealousy? It was a horrible emotion. It made him feel so…tight chested and nervous.

"What's up?" Astrid asked, leaning a half step toward him, that playful grin on her face. She'd patted pink balm on her lips. She looked good in pink.

"Nothing." Hiccup shrugged.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Are you sure? You know you can talk to me right?" Astrid said. Her smile was welcoming but Hiccup held his tongue.

"Yeah, I'm sure. But thanks." Hiccup nodded. _I know we've only known each other a little while but I don't like how those other guys are looking at you. _Yeah, smooth.

X

Boys. Astrid had never had a problem with boys. Flash them a smile, batter some lashes, lean into them, and they'd be eating out of her hand. That's how it's been since her breasts came in. What was it about boobs that turned grown men into total ninnies?

But this guy…Hiccup. There was something different about him. He was a dork, awkward, and…brilliant. He was intelligent and she could speak to him and he would speak back to her without glancing down at her chest between every other word. He was…refreshing.

X

After the mall Astrid insisted that Hiccup take a cab ride around the city he lived in. There weren't many sights to see but she didn't let that stop her. They looped around to the Bridge that arched over the Mississippi where a barge was streaking down the muddy water. Astrid pointed to the new River Campus where all the arts and theater classes were.

She'd taken one with Heather, because she insisted, and knew the first week that she wasn't made for the arts. Astrid directed the cab downtown to the old river front. The houses were old, she said, because the city was an old river town. It was bloomed along the Mississippi River back when it was the major way of transportation.

Downtown, they'd left the cab behind and she took him through the dozens of antique stores that lined the streets. They had been built inside the hundred-year-old buildings and smelled like dust and old people. Outside, delicious flavors waffled from a Cajun restaurant on the corner.

"I didn't know any of this was down here." Hiccup said, spying the faded colors of an old theater's stone facade. It would have been amazing in its heyday. Now it looked haunted.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I was here a semester and a half before Heather drug me down here." Astrid shrugged. She was looking into a shop's window where they had precariously places a horrid looking doll on the edge of a baby-blue corner cabinet.

"So you and Heather have been friends a while?" Hiccup asked. He'd heard her name several times. She and Astrid did thing together that girls did, like shopping, nails, and hair.

"We're in the same year. We had a class together and we clicked. After that we roomed together." Astrid said. "We hang out from time to time."

"Why don't you still room together?"

"She's living in a house full of art people. I couldn't handle that." Astrid laughed.

"What's wrong with art people?"

"Nothing, it's just they're so…abstract, all the time, and it's hard to even hold a substantial conversation with any of them. It's like when I asked them something simple, like how their day was, they go into this conceptual tirade of how the world is beating art down and the…something industry is crushing the arts in America, or some such nonsense I don't care about."

Hiccup held his breath at this mild rant. Astrid sighed, catching his look, and laughed.

"But Heather's not like that, at least not all the time. She's normal." Astrid sighed. They'd come to the end of the street. Astrid turned to him with a smile. "You hungry?"

"Yeah, I could eat."

"How do you feel about fried rice? I think I've finally figured out the recipe." Astrid said with a wide smile, expectant.

"Sounds great." Hiccup nodded. He did like Chinese.

Astrid called another cab and they went back to her apartment. Hiccup sat at the counter while she cooked. She cooked chopped carrots, microwaved the minute rice, and scrambled the eggs. She tossed it all together and put the bowl on the counter. She dumped a hefty amount onto two plates. She stuck a fork in each.

Hiccup took a large forkful and closed his mouth around it. Immediately, he'd wished he hadn't taken such a large bite. It was…it was like soggy sandy rocks. It tasted like plain rice and carrots in desperate need of salt. Or something.

Astrid was staring at him with a wide smile on her pink lips.

"Well? What do you think?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup chewed with difficultly. He placed a finger over his lips to prevent his gag reflex from repelling the contents, and swallowed. But he might as well have spit it out. The effect was obvious on Astrid's fallen face.

"You don't have to eat it." Astrid said quietly. She forked her own.

He knew he'd struck a nerve. He took another forkful and swallowed it quickly. When he anticipated the texture the taste wasn't _that _bad. Astrid gave him a pitiful look.

"No, no, it's good." Hiccup nodded.

Astrid was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. When he took another bite, as big as his first, she turned in her seat to face him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm eating."

"Why?"

"Because I'm hungry."

"We can order out, Hiccup. You don't have to eat it just to save my feelings."

He swallowed another bite. He looked down at his plate, almost empty. Just another bite. He could do this. He shoveled it into his mouth and swallowed hard. He set his fork down and looked at Astrid's still full plate.

"Are you not going to eat?"

Astrid's face held a expression he hadn't seen before. Her eyes were wide, trying to understand him, her lips were parted, trying to find the words.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid leaned forward, hand cupping his cheek, and kissed him. Her lips hovered over his before kissing him again before pulling away to looked at him. His heart was thumping out of control.

"You're really amazing, you know that?" Astrid said.

"I kind of feel like this part should have come before sex." Hiccup shrugged. He'd said it before he'd thought about it. He felt his chest tighten. He'd brought the events of the night before to attention. And now they had to talk about it.

Astrid smiled, Hiccup could have sworn he saw blush across her cheeks, and she looked down as she let out a girlish laugh.

"Are you upset about that?" she asked.

"Not at all." Hiccup smiled. Her blue eyes were so lovely. They were like the ocean, never ending and miles deep. He could stare into for hours. She kissed him again, hand sliding up his knee, but he stopped her.

"Is something wrong?" Astrid whispered.

"Maybe we should take it slower?" Hiccup whispered back. "I mean, it's not like I don't…want to…but,"

"It's moving too fast?" Astrid finished, smiling. "It's okay. How about a movie instead?"

"That sounds great." Hiccup smiled.

The rest of Saturday went by with chilly breezes blowing against the windows. They settled into the couch, Hiccup's arm nestled around her, with Astrid snuggled against him. When the movie was over and the sun was dropping down, Hiccup regretfully knew he needed to return to his own apartment. He had probably already worn out his welcome. Still, he wished he could sit on the couch with Astrid forever.

He stood up and Astrid leaned against the back of the couch.

"I should get going," Hiccup shrugged. "Thanks, Astrid, for everything. Really."

"You could stay here tonight." Astrid said. "Unless you'd rather sleep on your air mattress."

Hiccup smirked. "I haven't brush my teeth since-"

"I think I've got an extra." Astrid popped up from the couch with enthusiasm, then swallowed and regained her posture. "I mean, if you want to, I won't lock you in here. But I'm just saying that if you wanted to stay here, the invitation is open."

Hiccup felt his chest flutter. He tried to speak but his words came out all jumbled. He wanted to stay but if he did would she expect him to have sex with her?

"You don't have to." Astrid said, a bit sullen. "It won't hurt my feelings if you don't. I understand."

"It's not that, I mean…it's just…"

"We don't have to…do things." Astrid shrugged. "Cuddling is nice too. And, I like having someone there when I wake up. It's nice."

She smiled at him and he felt his trembling heart implode, shuttering his breath, fluttering his blood into fire.

That night Hiccup fell back into Astrid's bed. She slept softly beside him, so close, curled into his side, breathing against his shoulder. Sunday morning passed with breakfast, coffee, and a shower. They spent the day in her apartment. Hiccup helped her with laundry and dusting, the two things that she always did on Sundays. The laundry mat was less crowded, she said.

Sunday night she fell asleep against him on the couch and he used all his strength to carry her into the bedroom. Monday morning came too fast and Astrid was gone to class before Hiccup woke up. She'd left a note on the counter that said she'd be back at three. And not a minute after, Astrid was walking through the front door, shedding her coat and shaking off the cold.

"You know, Astrid, I will have to go home sometimes." Hiccup said.

"Yeah, I know." Astrid sighed. "I can't keep you here forever."

Hiccup kissed her on the cheek before he left. She'd washed his clothes so he didn't have to return to his apartment in hers. In the backseat of the cab, Hiccup already missed Astrid's place. She was right, falling asleep next to someone was better than doing it alone. It felt almost wrong t be going back to his dumpy little place.

Hiccup groaned as he stepped onto the sidewalk outside his building. He could already hear the blaring music. He looked up at the apartment above his. The windows were drawn and the lights were off. What the _hell _where they doing up there? Hiccup scoffed. Knowing his luck they were making cocaine.

He went inside and climbed onto the elevator. While it slowly jogged upward he dug in his pocket for his keys. He had found them and pulled the door key from the rest as the elevator door slide open. He hadn't taken a step into the hallway when he wished he could dive back inside.

A broad shouldered man stood at his apartment door. His large hand was curled into a fist and rapped against the wood. Hid red hair grew like fire around his head and erupted into a beard that extended halfway down his massive chest. His eyes were furrowed at the door in a expression that Hiccup knew far too well. It was disappointment, anger, and blunt disbelief.

"Dad?" Hiccup asked over the music.

X

I had some holiday segments planned and I had hoped to get to them before the actual holidays but I don't think we're going to get there before then. So we'll just roll with it and get there when we get there.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm glad this chapter was mostly complete - this week has been exhausting. I spent all afternoon yesterday finishing a project that I kept messing up so it took me until nearly three in the morning. But it's done, turned in, and over with! Just two finals to go and one presentation and I am done with school forever!

But enough of me ranting - Confrontations! Yay!

X

Chapter 9: Paternal Bonding

"Dad?" Hiccup asked over the music.

Stoick Haddock spun with speed that defied his massive size. His hands were balled into fists and his brow furrowed over his piercing gaze.

"Where the devil have you been?" He hammered. He didn't need to shout over the music. His voice was naturally amplified and that was why he always sounded like he was yelling, or so Hiccup had reasoned.

"Uh, what?" Hiccup stuttered.

"I thought you were dead!" Stoick thundered.

"Sorry to disappoint." Hiccup shrugged. He adverted his eyes to the floor, to his shoes, to the spots on the walls, anywhere that wasn't his dad.

Stoick released a sigh with the power of a small tornado. His frustration was evident, although Hiccup was unsure how his face looked otherwise, and it only ebbed into disappointment. Whether he meant to or not, he shook his head at his son, his beard waving over his chest. Hiccup always thought me looked more like a lumberjack than a business man, or at least three thousand years behind the average.

Hiccup swallowed and dug for his keys. Stoick stepped out of the way as Hiccup unlocked the door and let it swing open. He dreaded his father's reaction to his pitiful apartment. No doubt there was a lecture in his immediate future. Sure enough, it began as soon as Hiccup stepped over the threshold.

"Frank Miller called me and said that your car'd been towed." Stoick explained as he shut the door behind him with more force than necessary.

Hiccup held in a groan. Nothing in a small town was confidential. Miller was their insurance broker back in Berk. He and Stoick had been friends his high school. Telling him about his car sounded illegal but Hiccup wasn't surprised. Sure, there might have been a law, but it was Berk.

"I tried to call you a hundred times!" Stoick continued. "I finally called that witch of a landlady and she said you hadn't been home in days. What was I supposed to think?"

"Oh, right, my phone broke but I got a new one." Hiccup said. He could feel his father's hot stare on his face and looked to the floor to avoid it. He'd left his phone off. Suddenly, the new phone felt like a dead weight in his pocket.

"And you couldn't have the consideration to turn it on?" Stoick thundered. He muttered something under his breath. "I told you that moving out was too much reasonability."

Hiccup could feel a headache starting in the front of his brain. "I'm sorry, Dad. I wasn't thinking, I-"

"_That_ is the problem." Stoick pointed at Hiccup's chest. "You don't think about your actions. You don't think how it effects your future. You don't think about other people."

Hiccup sighed. Yeah, he'd _really _missed home.

Stoick sighed and made a quick lap around Hiccup's apartment. It didn't take long. He glared at the air mattress and second-hand seating. His eyes landed on the ceiling and Hiccup was surprised that his glare didn't met through the plaster.

"What is that racket?" Stoick demanded, starting back at his son as if he were the culprit.

"I guess it's music." Hiccup shrugged.

"Hiccup, this was a bad idea. You should come back to Berk." Stoick said. Hiccup tried to say something but Stoick didn't give him the breath. "You haven't made any progress here, Son. You haven't found a better job. Are you planning to work in that sweat shop for the rest of your life? Have you even made friends?"

"I've made friends." Hiccup butted in without thinking. His father's gaze bore into him, waiting for an explanatory follow-up answer, and Hiccup felt his throat tighten. "I have made friends. We were hanging out, that's where I was at, before I was here."

"Do they work at the comic book store?" Stoick asked. The emphasis he put on that sentence reminded Hiccup of the exact reason he'd wanted to leave.

"No, she's a student. She's a waitress." Hiccup defended.

"She?"

Hiccup felt like he'd swallowed marbles. "Yes. She. Her name is Astrid."

"Ah." Stoick said, a shift in his tone. He eyed his son with an expression that Hiccup hadn't seen before. But he didn't like it any more. It was curious, suspicious, and Hiccup wished he'd stop. "A girl. Well, I wasn't expecting that. But, good for you."

Hiccup sighed. That tone. He knew what his father was thinking. He was picturing whatever he saw as weird. A girl that worked at the comic store. Hiccup felt a little pinch of pride. Astrid wasn't anything like the weird girl that Stoick was probably imagining.

Stoick drummed his thick fingers on the counter. He was deliberating. Hiccup knew that 'thinking' face. Back on Berk whenever someone would ask him something he would sit back in his chair and stare at them with that same face.

"Did you forget to bring your coat?" Stoick asked.

"Yeah." Hiccup shrugged.

Stoick reached around and pulled his billfold from his back pocket, thumbed through its contents, and handed Hiccup a fistful of bills.

"What?" Hiccup asked. Not that he wanted to turn down free money but it felt like a charity. And his father's pity wasn't something he wanted to add to.

"For a new coat." Stoick motioned to the money. "It'd be easier that shipping yours down here."

"Thanks, Dad." Hiccup took it. It felt cold in his hand. He looked down at the bills and silently counted, one hundred and fifty.

"Alright, I'll give you one more month. If things aren't looking better by then I'm hauling your ass home." Stoick said, motioning toward him with a pointed finger. He shuffled his feet. "Are you hungry? I've got two hours before I need to get back to the airport."

Hiccup sighed. He didn't want to turn down free food either. He stashed the money in his own wallet and let his father treat him to another hot meal. At this rate he'd have to start working out or he'd gain weight.

X

Hiccup waved as his father's rental car vanished into traffic. No flights came directly to town so he'd flown into St. Louis and drove down. He'd mentioned it several times over the food. It had been costly, timely, and a headache. Hiccup loved his father but he was glad when he was gone.

Back in his apartment Hiccup took his phone from his pocket and turned it on. He felt guilt settle in. This entire ordeal could have been avoided if he'd turned his phone on when he'd gotten it. Sure enough the blue screen lit up and showed thirty missed calls, from Dad. Hiccup groaned.

Why did talking to his father always leave him feeling so…inadequate?

He crossed the room to the window and leaned against the cracked pane. Down on the sidewalk people were walking by. Two girls jogged with their ponytails flailing behind them. A young couple turned the corner pushing a baby stroller. The baby was bundled up against the cold and looked like a wad of blankets. Hiccup watched them pass by absently, until the impact of the view hit him, and he pushed himself away from the window.

A baby. Babies were made by sex. He'd had sex. Unprotected sex. Panic settled in his chest and he paced the length of the room twice before gripping his phone. Should he ask Astrid? Babies were serious. He was sure as hell not ready to be a dad. He pulled up a blank text to Astrid but paused.

How would he ask without sounding like a nutcase? He attempted several times but erased every one. He plopped down on the sofa and ran a hand through his hair.

_Hey, what's up? _A good start, Hiccup sighed. He hit send.

He stared at the blank screen, waiting for the reply, but shook his head. She wouldn't reply right away. She might be busy. He sat his phone on the couch beside him. He returned his hand to his lap when the ding-a-ling default tone signaled his hand back to it. A new message from Astrid.

_Nothing, sitting in lit class. Boo. _

_ Lit class?_

_ Literature_

_ Never had one of those._

_ Lucky lol _

_So, we should talk. _Hiccup swallowed. He could do this.

_What are we doing now?_

_ I mean about that night. Saturday. _

_ Oh_

Oh? What did that mean? Hiccup felt his chest tremble. He stared at his phone, at the blank text box, not knowing what to say. What did she mean by that? His thumb hovered over the keyboard. But Astrid beat him to the next text.

_R u ok? I'm sorry if I was pushy. _

_No, it's ok. _Hiccup swallowed.

_I did kind of jump u. Was that ur first time?_

_Yeah._ Hiccup watched his text go into the conversation. He waited. Why was he dreading this?

_ I'm sorry. _

_For what? _Hiccup was confused. Had he been that bad?

_Jumping you like that. I'm not used to virgins, I guess lol _

Hiccup bit his lip. Did that mean what he thought it meant? _What? Does that mean that you're not? _

_Obviously not lol far from it _

_How far? _Hiccup chewed on the inside of his lip.

_R u asking for my number? Lol_

_ Sure. Why? Is it that high? Lol _

_ No! But that's like asking a girl's weight lol _

_ Oh? So you tell me a lower number to make yourself feel better? Lol _

_Haha, that's mean!_

_ I'm sorry. _

_ It's ok, Hiccup. I realize that you've got a lot to learn about girls. _

_ I'm happy to let you teach me _

_ Lol maybe _

Hiccup smiled. It was true that when it came to girls he was at a loss. It was a lack of experience not smarts. What he didn't know he was eager to learn, like about birth control. But again he was having trouble forming thoughts into words. Maybe he needed to be blunt.

_Astrid - we had unprotected sex. I'm worried. _There. It was sent.

_ Don't be. I take pills for that. _

Hiccup stared at her own bluntness. He was about to respond when Astrid again beat him to it.

_ But thanks for being concerned. I've got to go - ttyl_

_ Ok_

Hiccup's phone went black and he set it on the couch beside him. She took pills for that. She had made it sound so…casual. And that in turn made him feel unsure. Was sex just something she did on the weekends? Like a hobby? He drew pictures and she had sex? Hiccup slouched. Why was this so complicated?

X

Astrid fingered her pen as Dr. Something-or-other went on about Mary Shelley's odd obsession with her mother's grave. She peered around the room. Most students looked half asleep. That one kid was doodling, pencil hanging limply in his hands, something surely amazing being pooped out by absent-minded boredom.

Hiccup probably doodled in school. Astrid sighed. She pulled her eyes from the doodler. Her eyes fell onto the top of her shoe. A scuff mark had appeared somewhere between her apartment and the classroom. It would probably come off, but -

A buzzing distracted her from her thoughts. She glanced down at her backpack's side pocket and saw the tell-tale glowing. She took it out with a practiced hand, held it in her lap, and hide it with crossed legs. A smile broke across her face when she read Hiccup's name.

_Hey, what's up? _

_Nothing, sitting in lit class. Boo. _

_Lit class? _

_ Literature _Right, she'd forgotten that 'lit' was English major jargon. God, was she becoming one of them?

_ Never had one of those._

_ Lucky lol _She meant it.

_So, we should talk. _

Astrid let her enhale slip out slowly. She looked around, no one had noticed, or cared. Those three words were never followed by comforting conversation. She inhaled. She was a big girl. She could do this. Stay in good humor. _What are we doing now?_

_ I mean about that night. Saturday. _

_ Oh _Astrid swallowed. She watched those two letters float into the conversation. A live bomb. They hadn't talked about it. Honestly, she'd avoided it. She hated talking about intimacy. And emotions. _R u ok? I'm sorry if I was pushy. _

_No, it's ok. _

_I did kind of jump u. Was that ur first time? _That's a great thing to ask.

_Yeah._

_I'm sorry. _Of course it had been. It was so obvious he didn't know what he was doing and she came in and practically raped him. She felt her chest tighten.

_For what? _

_Jumping you like that. I'm not used to virgins, I guess lol _Shit! Astrid wanted to take that back and never let Hiccup see it. But it was too late. It was gone, sent, and he was staring at it right now. God, she sounded like such a …

_What? Does that mean that you're not? _

_Obviously not lol far from it _And there she went again. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she had just said 'no' and let that be?

_How far? _

_R u asking for my number? Lol _Astrid bit her lip. She didn't want him to know that. She felt a twinge of red surged into her cheeks.

_ Sure. Why? Is it that high? Lol _

Hiccup! If he would have been there she'd have punched him. Her embarrassment turned into anger. _No! But that's like asking a girl's weight lol _

_ Oh? So you tell me a lower number to make yourself feel better? Lol _

_ Haha, that's mean! _She knew he was trying to be funny, in his own little quirky way, but he was only making it worse. But she couldn't stay mad at that silly skinny dork.

_ I'm sorry. _

_ It's ok, Hiccup. I realize that you've got a lot to learn about girls. _

_ I'm happy to let you teach me _

_ Lol maybe _Oh, he had nerve. Like most guys he said things in texts that he wouldn't to her face. His attempts to flirt weren't subtle but they were still sweet.

Her phone was silent for a moment and she turned her attention from it. The room was silent. Dr. Something-or-other was looking out at them all over his too-tall podium, expectantly. They'd been asked a question but no one readily raised a voice to answer it.

Astrid avoided eye contact. There was a loaded moment when no one spoke until it was finally broken by the bookworm no-it-all in the front row. Astrid released a held breath. She'd been preoccupied with trying not to be called on and she hadn't noticed the new message.

_ Astrid - we had unprotected sex. I'm worried. _

"And that is it for today. I'll see you on Wednesday." Dr. Something-or-other said, tapping the podium with his hand.

And students were packing up and filing out. Astrid did the same and sent her response quickly. _Don't be. I take pills for that. _His bluntness was refreshing. So was his concern. _But thanks for being concerned. I've got to go - ttyl_

_ Ok_

Astrid was glad to get out of the stuffy English buildings. The cool wind was refreshing even if it let her skin prickled. She went straight to the gym, into the women's locker's room, and plopped down onto one of the benches. She covered her face with her shaking hands. Why did she feel so fucking terrible?

_ So you'll tell me a lower number to make yourself feel better?_

How could such a simple sentence leave her with such a horrible tension in her chest. _Is it that high?_

She was far from virginity. And admitting that to Hiccup had left her feeling like she'd been punched. Guilt. She didn't want to tell him how many guys she'd been with. She didn't want to tell herself how many guys she'd been with. She could feel the guilt souring in her chest and pushing blood into her head. She didn't change into her workout clothes. She slunk down against the wall and let her emotions get the better of her. Water swelled in her eyes and trailed along her cheeks.

It had always been there but Hiccup brought it all to the surface. She had tried to bury it, like she always did, but every time it was a little harder. She never wanted to think about it. Hiccup was sweet, adorable, and until he had met her he'd been pure. Losing one virginity was supposed to be a memorable event, a big step, a decision made with deliberation and thought. And she had just barged in and took it, without asking, without considering what he thought about it. She was right when she had told him she wasn't used to dealing with virgins. Not in a long time, anyway.

God, she probably made him feel like he had to. She was such…a whore.

Astrid was thankful that the locker room was empty. She would rather shave her head than someone see her like this. She wiped the tears on her sleeve. A choking sob slipped out and she cursed herself. She hated the sound of crying. It was so gross and disgusting.

What the _hell _was she doing? Crying over a guy? Astrid Hofferson didn't cry, let alone over a boy. No, she was too strong for that. She was too tough. She pushed herself off the bench and half ran to the wall of sinks. She clasped the ceramic with both hands and stared at her puffy reflection. She splashed cold water over her skin and scrubbed it dry with the rough paper towels.

The girl that stared back at her wasn't who she wanted to see.

"You're strong." Astrid told her reflection.

_You're worthless. _

"Confidence."

_Trash. _

"Power."

_What's wrong with you?_

"Pride."

_Whore._

X

I actually enjoy literature classes, the reading and discussing, but that's beside the point. That's for all the positive reviews! I'm glad that you all have liked this story!


	10. Chapter 10

I apologize for being late on this chapter. Between finals, graduating, and the flu these past two weeks have been kicking my butt. But I'm done with school and feeling better, so, yeah.

Onward!

X

Chapter 10: We're the Vikings

A month. What was Hiccup supposed to do in a month that was going to convince his father that he's doing alright? Find a better job? What did his father think a better job was? And if his boss caught wind that Hiccup was even _thinking _about quitting, he'd be fired on the spot.

Hiccup was leaning against the shower wall, forehead pressed again the linoleum, hot water beading down his back. Steam rolled up and filled the tiny bathroom. His residual headache had started when his father arrived and hadn't subsided. He stretched his neck and looked face first into the shower head, closing his eyes against the downpour, running his hands through his soaked hair. He groaned and shook his head vigorously.

His father said, more often than not, that he had always known exactly what he'd wanted. He had set his goals and aimed for the best. He accepted nothing less of himself. He worked tirelessly to achieve those goals. Yes, it was a lecture that Hiccup knew well enough to zone out when it began to come back just as it ended, to stare at his father's expectant face. Then Hiccup would shrug, maybe murmur something about the future, all the while his father would shake his head in disappointment.

Just thinking about that lecture was making his head throb.

Hiccup stepped out of the shower and quickly dried himself. He wrapped the towel around his waist as he opened the bathroom door. Despite being mostly dry, his skin broke out in gooseflesh. He dug in through his closet to find clean underwear. He desperately needed to do laundry. Finally finding a pair, he dressed quickly, in dirty jeans and a hoodie.

He stuck a hand over the vent. He'd turned the heat up to eighty the night before but the air coming out of the vent sure as hell wasn't even warm. He towel-dried his hair and tossed it to the floor. He'd do laundry later, so it didn't matter. He hadn't bought a coat yet either. He groaned. His to-do list kept growing.

Hiccup pulled the hood over his head as he walked to the window. Why did November have to be so blasted cold? With his car still out of commission, probably forever, and his funds tight, it looked like he'd be walking. He stuff his shoes on and made sure to lock his door as he left.

Outside, he had forgotten out quiet it was without that deafening music. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and started his brisk trek to the library. The wind was low but would occasionally gust through his clothes like needles. He held his arms to his sides but it did hardly anything. By the time he was climbing the library's stairs he was shivering beyond control. His teeth were chattering, and his fingers, toes, and face were numb.

As soon as he walked through the doors the heat welcomed him. The harsh contrast stung his face and made him aware of just how cold his clothes were. He took a moment to take in the temperature. He looked around the lounge area and spotted Astrid's blonde hair almost immediately. She was sitting down by the window, book laid open on the coffee table, pencil flicking between her fingers, hair pulled back into a loose ponytail.

She glanced up from her studies as he approached and her tired face broke out into a wide smile.

"Hey," Astrid said, breathless although smiling.

"Afternoon," Hiccup returned the smile. He sat down across from her. There were shadows under her eyes. She wasn't wearing the usual thin eyeliner and her face looked almost naked. Her blue eyes weren't as bright today and reflected the same exhaustion as her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah. Just tired. Stayed up doing some homework." Astrid nodded. She reached for a reusable coffee mug and put it to her lips. It had the stylized logo of the university, a red and black wooden shield with _Vikings _in big broad letters, and a little cartoon horned helmet hanging from the letter 'V.'

"Vikings?" Hiccup nodded to the cup.

"Yeah, that's us." Astrid half-laughed. "You should see the mascot. It's this giant Viking head with this normal sized body, with a little axe and shield. At homecoming he fights a paper dragon."

"Sounds interesting."

"It's actually not bad." Astrid shrugged. She sighed, "I know I don't have coffee for you. I've been here a while. I thought I'd get some work in on this damn paper."

"I thought finals weren't for like a month?"

"Yeah, but I'd like to have this done by then so I don't have to worry about it. One less thing, you know?"

"Yeah." Hiccup nodded. "I'm going to get coffee, be right back."

Hiccup stood up. Astrid gave him a quick smile, a temporary goodbye, and began to organize her papers and books and put them away into a backpack. He returned a moment later with a disposable cup steaming with warm vapors that he eagerly inhaled. The last of the ice that had settled into his lungs was melting. He sunk back onto the couch and sipped it.

"Anything wrong?"

"Hmm?" Hiccup lowered the coffee from his lips and looked at her. She was leaning forward on her knees, narrowed and interested eyes pinned on him.

"You seemed distracted."

"Oh, no, no, I'm…not distracted." Hiccup shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"You don't sound sure."

"I'm sure."

"How sure?"

"I'm okay, Astrid, really."

"I'm a good listener, you know."

Hiccup groaned. She was so persistent. He rubbed his face with his free hand. He rested his chin on his palm and turned to look at her. Her face hadn't changed. Her stare was no accusatory or dismissive. There was a genuine want to listen, an ear open, and it made his heart do that thump-thump that he'd come to associate with Astrid. He sighed. She wasn't going to stop.

"It's my dad." Hiccup said. He told Astrid about how he'd freaked out and made an emergency flight down.

"He was worried about you. It's kind of sweet." Astrid said, after he'd paused. "And…that's bad?"

"Yes! No! I don't know." Hiccup took a sip of his coffee. "It's hard to explain."

"Try me," Astrid smiled. Raw encouragement.

"Me dad doesn't…understand. It's like everything that I do falls short of his expectations. It's like…he thinks that I should be exactly like he was, so that I can grow up to be just like him, or something." Hiccup shrugged. "We went to lunch when he was here and he went into his lecture about how he had his life all in order by the time he was my age, and how he knew exactly who he was, what he wanted, and where he wanted to go. He…expects me to be the same…and I just…can't."

"It's perfectly fine to not know what you want out of life." Astrid said.

"He always made me feel so…inadequate." Hiccup slumped, elbows to knees, coffee griped in his hands. He sipped it. Bitter.

Astrid paused. "We're not our parents. You're not your father. You can't be like him. He is him and you are you. He made his mistakes and you get to make yours. It's not just what we want to achieve, it's how we get there.

"That's retrospective." Hiccup turned to look at her.

"We spent a forty-five minute discussion talking about life, and how we become ourselves through a series of events that we may or may not control." Astrid shrugged. "I feel like I could be a psychologist after that class."

Hiccup smiled. "Thanks. But that doesn't help me know what to do. I just wish he would tell me what he wanted me to do. And I don't know what I'm going to discover it and do it with a month."

"Well, what do _you _want to do?"

"I don't know."

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"

"Hell if I know." Hiccup groaned. "I wanted to get out of Berk and I did that."

"Why did you want to leave?"

"Because it was suffocating." Hiccup shrugged. "And now that I'm out I don't know what to do. It's all I wanted to do for so long that I hadn't thought of the after. I supposed I thought that if I got away…everything would just fall into place."

"Have you thought about school?" Astrid suggested. She motioned around her. "It's not the best university in the country but it's not bad. I kind of like it."

"School?" Hiccup shook his head. "I can't pay for that."

"Student loans?"

"I don't know." Hiccup shrugged. "What would be the point?"

"Enriching your education, broadening your horizons, stretching your social circle, gaining invaluable experience, and whatnot."

"While all that sounds fun and inviting, _money _is still the problem. I couldn't work enough to live on and go to school at the same time."

"They have classes at almost any time so finding ones that will work around a schedule is easier than you think. And, you could always move with me with and save on rent." Astrid said like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Hiccup was about to speak but his words were forgotten on the tip of his tongue. Move in together? What? He mental shook himself. She was doing it again, being so damn persistent. "They should hire you for advertisement."

Astrid smiled. The lightest of blushes warmed her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I just…I guess I don't want you to have to go back to Berk. I like having you here."

Hiccup felt a blush mirror hers on his own cheeks. Then he remembered her words again, her mild suggestion of moving in. "Don't you think it's a bit early to move in together?"

Astrid shrugged. "Maybe, but it would be more logical, money-wise. I mean, what do you pay in rent? Five hundred a month? That would be five hundred _more _in your pocket.

Hiccup cleared his throat and took a long sip from the cooling coffee. Astrid drank from her insulated mug. He could see his father's glare if he told him he was moving in with someone, let along a girl, and who knows that he would then tell to the rest of the family. Everyone in Berk would know by Christmas.

"So," Hiccup said, with great interest in changing the subject, "What's your paper on?"

"Oh, it's stupid. It's Frankenstein." Astrid shrugged. "I'm nailed down feminism, but after that I'm at a loss."

"What does that mean?"

"Feminism? It's just the theme of the paper. I'm supposed to be finding some kind of argument or whatever about the women in the book."

"You don't seem like a very good English nerd."

Astrid half-laughed and gave him a short glare, as humored as it was annoyed, and poked his side. "I know. I don't like this analyzing stuff. I don't care about what Frankenstein is trying to say about society."

"I can't help you there." Hiccup shook his head.

"If you went to school what would you go into?" Astrid sighed.

"I have no idea."

"What are you into?"

Hiccup shrugged.

"You don't have any hobbies? You draw."

"Yeah, but I don't want to make a career out of drawing." Hiccup sighed.

"Teaching?"

"I don't know."

"Biology?"

"What would I do with that?"

"…be a biologist?"

"I'm serious," Hiccup laughed.

"So am I." Astrid returned his giggle. "There's chemistry, too."

"Bleh."

"There's a million options with computers. Engineering. Design."

"I don't know." Hiccup sighed. What did he like to do? "I don't know if school is what my dad had in mind. I wish he'd just tell me what he wanted from me. I guess… I just have this unsettling feeling that no matter what I do…he'll be disappointed."

"Maybe he doesn't know what he wants either." Astrid shrugged. "Have you gotten a coat yet?"

"No." Hiccup shrugged.

"You should get on that, Hiccup. It's only going to get colder. I hear there's snow predicated for this weekend."

"Great." Hiccup groaned. Snow made him think of Berk. It always snowed, from October to April, it seemed. "Yeah, I'll get on that."

"We can go. Make an afternoon of it." After suggested. "Shopping is more fun when we're in a team."

"Sure," Hiccup smiled.

Astrid stood up.

"Oh, right now?" Hiccup asked.

"Sure, what else have you got to do?" Astrid shrugged toward his half-drunk coffee.

"True." Hiccup nodded.

He finished his coffee while Astrid called a cab. She drained her mug and buttoned her peacoat. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and motioned for him to follow. The cab picked them up right outside and after taking her bag back to her apartment, they were on their way to the mall. They walked inside, talking, with Hiccup fighting back gooseflesh. It felt so comfortable and casual. Astrid made him feel that way and he would love to get used to it. Every time she would look at him and their eyes would meet, his blood would race.

Astrid gentle placed her hand on his upper arm to guide him along the right side of the mall. When they fell in step with each other she slid her arm through his, hooking elbows. Hiccup felt his heart thump and he couldn't choke down the smile that wormed onto his lips. They walked from store to store and within the hour Hiccup was wearing his new coat, a brown peacoat that Astrid had complimented.

It made him look sophisticated, she'd said. _Sophisticated_.

And it was warm, too.

They continued to walk the mall's length. To him, two people walking arm in arm meant that they were a couple. He and Astrid hung out together, made plans to see each other, already technically had sex, and spent a weekend in the same bed. What did that mean?

"Astrid," Hiccup asked, not sure of how to ask what he wanted.

"Yes?"

"I just…what is this?"

"What is what?"

"This, us, this thing that's going on."

"Oh."

Hiccup swallowed. Had he burst something? Revealed some obscure secret? Astrid took a small step away from him and he felt panic quake in his chest. She shifted her feet. She was being so quiet. It was making him nervous.

"Labeling relationships is always complicated." Astrid finally said. She was looking into the window of Things Remembered, at the shiny silver matching set of more things that most people could ever need, and hesitating. "What is this to you?"

"I don't know."

"That's not much of an answer."

"Then what's yours?"

Astrid came to a stop. They were standing near the doors where the sunlight was disappearing fast. She looked out at the parking lot then down at his shoes. "Hiccup, I like you. Really. And I don't want to scare you away." She looked up at him with wide eyes, exposed softness, a tender center brushed free of learned crust and roughness.

"That'd be hard for you to do." Hiccup said after a prolonged moment in which he had been speechless. Her words were genuine and had stabbed into him like hot knifes, leaving his insides on fire.

Astrid's face subsided into a grateful smile, a thin glisten on her bright blue eyes, and her hands reached up to hold onto the pockets of his coat. What compelled him, he didn't know, but he was reached his hands to her elbows and leaned down to kiss her. It wasn't the dramatic kiss he wished he had been, just a peck on the lips. He pulled away and the warmth on her face melted him.

She was the first girl he'd kissed. She was looking up at him and Hiccup wished the moment would last longer. She patted his chest.

"Come on, I've got homework to do and you've got work in the morning."

On the cab ride back through town, Hiccup imagined what it would feel like to get out at the same apartment, _their _apartment. That weekend that he'd spent with her had been amazing. If every day could be like that weekend he didn't know what he'd do.

X

Thanks again for all the reviews - and for reading! I'm glad that you are all enjoying this story!


	11. Chapter 11

Haha, so as I was starting to edit this chapter tonight I accidentally spilled root beer float on my computer. My lap-desk needs a bath now but my computer is just a little sticky - but other than that it's okay!

Thanks again for all the reviews and support - I really do appreciate it! I'm glad you all are enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

X

Chapter 11: Midnight Worries

Thursday left Hiccup exhausted. With his car still out of order, Hiccup took a cab back to his apartment and despite the noise from above, he collapsed onto his air mattress, which felt less…inflated than it should have been. He flopped his arm out and it landed into the mattress like a wet towel.

A leak. Great. That's just what he wanted.

He kicked his shoes off, fighting a bit with the heel of his fake foot, and crawled up into the middle of his flattening bed. He pulled his pillow over his head and if he'd had more energy he would have screamed out his frustration, but his lungs were using all their energy to breath.

His brain had been buzzing all day. He'd moved out here to get away from Berk and find his own way. And it had worked, for a while. But then every day had become the same. He slept, worked, and slept again, all while trying to ignore the emo-club that seemed to live upstairs. He'd wanted something new, different, and exciting, and in a way he'd thought that it would just appear, happen as a result of the move, but it hadn't.

Then Astrid appeared like a summer storm, fierce and sudden. She was different than anyone he'd ever met. She'd kept coming back, resurfacing. And she was offering him a chance to do something he'd never thought he would, school. But…school? It was exciting but seemed out of his reach. It was like a dream that he'd thought about but never honestly considered.

And living with a girl? Things between them were suddenly moving too fast. Thinking about it made his blood race, his face heat, and his hands twitch. Should he move in with a girl that he'd known for just a couple months? They'd hung out, even had sex, and could stand each other for more than ten minutes at a time, but what did they really know about each other? What did he know about her?

Hiccup threw the pillow with the unexpected question; what was her last name? Had she told him? For some reason he felt as though she had. Then he should remember, right? But at the current moment he couldn't find it. Maybe she hadn't told him.

Fine, forget about names. What was her favorite food? Chinese? She'd made that fried rice concoction. But…that didn't mean that Chinese was her favorite. She like coffee, he knew.

Great. Coffee. That's all he had. Her first name and coffee.

What was he even doing? This entire thing was bound to end in disaster, like everything else. Hiccup groaned. He couldn't calm his pounding heart. It was hammering against this chest like the beat coming through the ceiling. He pushed himself off the bed in a rush, fumbling over his legs and landing in a heap on the floor, cursing as he pushed up to stand.

He didn't change. His phone and keys were still in his jean pocket. He locked the door behind him and was bolting down the hallway. He wasn't sure what he was doing but his brain wasn't functioning properly. In what felt like a matter of seconds, he was standing in front of Astrid's door, knuckles rapping against the wood like the sky was falling.

"I'm coming!" he heard her annoyed and tired voice from the other side. There was a shadow underneath the door, a pause as the deadbolt was undone, and the door was thrust open a crack. Astrid's blue eye appeared through it, narrowed but alert, and a bit confused. "Hiccup?"

She pulled the door open the rest of the way and returned a wooden baseball bat to it's resting place beside the doorframe.

"Astrid, what are we doing?" Hiccup demanded.

"What?" Astrid raised a brow, choking down a yawn.

Hiccup pushed past her and into her darkened apartment. She was wearing her pajamas, a loose t-shirt and patterned pants, with her hair tied back in a messy braid. She'd been sleeping, he assumed, and was now watching his with sleepy curiosity. She closed the door behind him, refastened the deadbolt, and flipped the light switch. The room was suddenly filled with florescent light as he paced across the living room.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know anything about you." Hiccup said suddenly, coming to a stop, throwing his arms out wide.

"What do you mean?"

"I-I was thinking, and I mean, you like coffee. Your name is Astrid. Other than but, I don't know anything about you. And I-I can't be moving in with someone that I barely know, I mean, we've slept together, but what does that even mean? It's a big step and I don't…I don't know if it's a good idea. It's a lot, and I don't know what I think about it." While Hiccup spoke, moving his arms and shoulders a bit sporadically, he shifted from one foot to the other, and Astrid watched him silently. When it appeared than he was finished, she uncrossed her arms, and swallowed.

"Is that why you're here?"

"I-I guess." Hiccup shrugged, then nodded, "Yes."

His eyes were pinning on her for a reaction, anticipating anything.

"Because you don't know anything about me?" she asked. Her blue eyes were sinking doubt into him like ice.

"Yes." Hiccup nodded.

"I don't know anything else about you, either." Astrid said.

Hiccup opened his mouth but his words froze on his tongue. He swallowed. She was right. A calm, slight smile drifted across her pale pink lips. She was looking at him with an expression that he couldn't identify. They seemed to stand there in silence for hours, staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move, to fire the next complaint, to do anything. Finally, Astrid took a step toward him.

"Hiccup, you don't have to listen to me if you don't want to." Astrid said calmly. "It's not like moving in together is a major commitment, it's not 1950 anymore. Besides, finding a roommate anymore is much more of a crapshoot."

Hiccup nodded, shrugging his shoulders, knowing that she was right again. Her calm words were asserting strength into his doubting self-conscious fears.

"It's just…I don't know." Hiccup looked down at his shoes. He looked down at the carpet to see if he'd tracked dirt in. Luckily, he hadn't.

"What is it?" she asked, biting back a yawn.

"I just…I don't understand how…"

"How what, Hiccup? Tell me what's bothering you."

He burst. "I don't understand how a girl like you could honestly be interested in a guy like me."

"What?" Astrid asked, the tiredness vanished and her voice gained a sharpness that made the hair on his arm stand.

"You've got an angle, you have to. I-I…pretty girls like you don't talk to guys like me." Hiccup stammered. It had been on his mind since he'd met her and he couldn't stop it from flowing out into the air, like a poisonous gas, expanding faster than he could contain it.

Astrid opened her mouth but for a moment nothing came out. She was struggled with words, caught in her throat, and when her voice finally returned, Hiccup felt it stab into his chest. "What? 'Pretty girls like you?' What the fuck does that mean?"

Hiccup knew that he'd struck a nerve. Her voice was a pitch higher than normal. He swallowed, trying to find the words to back himself up. "I-I'm not…you're a pretty girl, Astrid, with a future, and friends, and I'm just…this…skinny nerdy weird guy that girls don't notice unless I'm in their way. I'm not strong, or handsome, or rich."

"So girls like me can only like a boy if he's strong, handsome, and rich?" Astrid's voice was acid.

"No, no, I mean," Hiccup fumbled, again. "I'm…a hiccup." Before Astrid could ask, "It's a thing that they did back in Berk. They call the runt of the little a hiccup…a mistake, unless, a…spasm. Because it usually died or got eaten…because it's a hiccup. And girls like you aren't interested in hiccups. Why would you be? I don't have anything. I'm just…a hiccup."

And his words were gone. He didn't know what else to say. He'd spilled his guts all over her carpet and was left to stand in them and gape and wait for her to clean them up or else he'd have to carry them back to his apartment in his arms.

"Hiccup," Astrid said. She took a step closer.

He dared to look at her. Her temper had faded and had been replaced with a comforting smile he hadn't imagined would be there. She was warmth, like fire, and it pushed through his worries and doubts. She came another step close and grasped both of his hands in hers.

"I don't care that you're not the strongest or hottest, or have the most money. I don't care about any of that. I don't know what it is about you that I like so much. You're sweet, honest, clearheaded, and…amazing. You have beautiful eyes that remind me of summer. And then you've got those narrow hips, _gods_, and this self-conscious thing you've got is…adorable." Astrid knelt down to peer into his downcast eyes. "And when we talk it's like you actually care about what I say, you listen to me."

Hiccup could only stare. He liked that about her, too. She listened. She always had an open ear to whatever his concerns or worries were. Like tonight, she had let him rant and wail and she'd remained quiet and simply listened.

"Hiccup, you say that you don't know anything about me, but I don't really know that much about you, either. Shit, I don't even know your real name." Astrid smiled, exhaustion returned. "Look, my morning class got cancelled tomorrow, and I'm not pressuring you, but if you'd like to stay and talk then you are more than welcomed to. I'd love you get to know you better."

The swelling fear in his chest had deflated. It had been absorbed into the warmth that Astrid spread. She reached around him and hung her arms around his torso, hugging him tight, and then whispered into his shirt.

"What?" Hiccup asked, gingerly fingering a stray hair that dashed out of her braid.

"Whatever you want to do is fine. But I'm exhausted." Astrid yawned. "Someone woke me up."

"Sorry about that. Did you want to talk or sleep?"

"We can talk until I pass out. And then, if you stay, we can talk in the morning." Astrid smiled into his shirt.

"Okay." Hiccup nodded.

"You want something to sleep in?" Astrid asked, looking him up and down.

"Oh, uh," Hiccup shifted.

"Or, if you're a boxers kind of guy that's fine to." Astrid nodded. She walked over to the light switch and flipped it off. She vanished into the bedroom and Hiccup heard her flop onto the bed.

Hiccup emptied his pockets onto the counter, phone and keys and a receipt he didn't remember, and followed her into the darkened bedroom. In the dark he wasn't embarrassed when he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed the down his legs and left them in a heap on the floor as he walked to the bedside. He sat down and pulled his shirt over his head. It had been sweat through that day and he'd hate to smothering a dirty shirt on Astrid's sheets. Of course he wouldn't have showered before he'd just barged over here. He probably smelled, too.

_I kind of like it_, she'd said.

"I'm glad you decided to stay." Astrid mumbled. She laughed, sleepily, and added, "Too bad it's not storming, right?"

Hiccup didn't smile. "Astrid, what does that mean to you?"

"Storms?"

"The sex."

"Oh." Astrid sighed. "I don't know…it's just sex, you know? It's like, on the weekends, you go out, drink, dance, and find someone to have sex with, and maybe you're friends afterward and maybe he ends up being a giant dick and you never talk to him again. It's…like a thing that we do."

"That's it?" Hiccup asked. "It's just a thing you do on the weekends? Like watching a movie? It's that casual and normal?"

"I don't know. I guess so." Astrid said quietly. "Why? What does it mean to you?"

"It's…a thing, you know? It's special, not casual, but…it's like the most powerful thing two people can do, like a ritual of love, and trust." Hiccup could hear the words coming out of his mouth, in his voice, but it sounded…silly. But he believed it. It was just never spoken, never given a definition. Before Astrid, it hadn't needed one.

"I like you, Hiccup, I really do, but I'm not ready to say that I love you." Astrid said, plainly, like she was speaking of the weather on a cloudy day. In that same tone she added, "Do you love me, Hiccup?"

"No, I don't think so." Hiccup said. He liked her, but when he thought about her he felt a balloon of doubt in his chest. "I really like you, but love is a strong word."

Astrid didn't say anything. Hiccup waited, and after a prolonged pause, he whispered, "Astrid?"

She was asleep. Her even breathing was soothing, calming like rain, and much more pleasant to fall asleep to than the booming music of his strange neighbors. With the warmth of her pushy comforter surrounding him it was easy to find sleep, to find that nook on the mattress that cradled his body just right, and drift into the dreamless bliss that would swiftly usher him into the morning.

X


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you all so much for your support and love, I greatly appreciate it, honest. It means a lot to know that you're all enjoying this story. Because that's one thing about being a writer that I love. It's bringing entertainment to people. Making them happy.

I really wanted waffles after this chapter. You've been warned.

X

Chapter 12: Waffles?

Hiccup stirred. The sunlight was streaming in from the window, illuminating Astrid's bedroom in a brightness that was both pleasant and stinging. Hiccup rolled over, with his back to the window, and tried to find that sleepy comfort. But he was awake. He rolled onto his other side. Astrid was laying on her stomach, half of her face buried in its plush, hair braided to avoid tangles.

She was still sound asleep. Even asleep she was beautiful. Like something out of a magazine. The light fluttered around her like an extended halo.

Last night they had stayed up, just talking. They'd laid in bed in the dim light, under the warm blankets, in pajamas. It was…so pleasant. He didn't want to fall asleep. He wanted to stay, right there, in those moments, with Astrid, forever. He'd been…happy. He could really get used to it.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Astrid had said, biting back a yawn.

"Let's start small. What is your last name?" Hiccup asked, thinking he was looking at her but wasn't sure. In the dark all he could make out was an outline and slightly varying shades of shadow.

"I've told you, I think. It's Hofferson." Astrid nodded.

"Right, I did know that." Hiccup said, suddenly feeling ridiculous. "Your Uncle Finn lives in Berk."

"Yes." Astrid said. "My turn. What's your real first name? and your last night, while your at it."

"One question at a time."

"I didn't know you had rules." Astrid said, a tired half-laugh.

"I just made them up. For fairness's sake."

"Okay. What's your real first name?"

Hiccup inhaled. Astrid must have heard it. He heard the sound of hair against the pillow, like she was turning her head to look at him, and he almost wished he could see her. But then again, in the dark he had a much broader sense of confidence.

"Harold."

"Harold?"

"Yes."

"Then why not have 'Harry' as a nickname instead? Or does it not fit, thematically?"

"Because 'Hiccup' fit a lot better." he said flatly. "But I'm sure 'Harry' would have made a childhood on Berk at least a little better."

"Not since you're not very hairy."

"Astrid."

"What? I mean, I didn't see anything but I touched you."

"Astrid."

"Don't worry, super hairy guys freak me out. I like your smoothness."

Hiccup sighed. It was her question. Wasn't it? No, she'd asked her question about being called 'Harry'.

"Of course, with 'Harry' you open the door to Harry Potter jokes."

"I don't get it."

"You know, the nerdy kid that didn't fit in and turns out he's a wizard?"

"I know the concept. I never saw those movies."

"You…you've never seen the Harry Potter movies? Read them?"

"No."

"I know what our next date is going to be. Potter-thon."

"Really?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely." Astrid said humorously, yawning. "What's your last name?"

"Haddock. And that's like three questions for you. My turn." Hiccup said. "What's your favorite food?"

"It changes from time to time. I'm on a Chinese kick recently. But I really like strawberries. Shortcake. You?"

"I don't know. A friend of mine's mom makes really good crab cakes."

"Those sound gross."

"They're really good. They're not too fishy or too sweet."

"I don't like seafood. Too fishy."

"But you like Chinese."

"Chinese isn't seafood. It's rice and broccoli and chow mein." Astrid inhaled, releasing it slowly. "Who's this friend? I didn't think you were popular."

"I wasn't. But I had a friend," Hiccup half-laughed, even thought it wasn't funny. "Frode. We called him Fishlegs. Please don't ask, because it's a really long, stupid story, with the logic of five year olds."

"Fishlegs?"

"Yes."

"So…it was Hiccup and Fishlegs?"

"Why do you say it like that?"

"It sounds like a fantasy novel, or a pirate story."

"If it were my life would be a lot more interesting."

"Why? What made it boring?"

"I-I didn't do a lot." Hiccup admitted. "I didn't have a lot of friends. I didn't go out and…party, or whatever everyone else did."

"Well, I'm glad you ended up as you are. I like you."

He didn't want to believer her when she said things like that so easily. He wanted to call her bluff and storm out, pushing this impossible woman from his mind, from his life, but he wanted so desperately to believe her. "Thanks."

"Thank _you_."

Whose question was it? "Where did you grow up?"

"California, Sacramento, but I don't remember it, and Los Angeles after that. I spent a summer in San Diego. My parents told me that we lived in Denver for a year but I don't remember that either. I just remember living in Los Angles. What about you?"

"Just Berk." Hiccup said. He'd never been to California. Moving across the Mississippi was as far west as he'd ever gotten. "Berk was always so rainy and cold. California sounds amazing."

"It's not as amazing as everyone that doesn't live there thinks it is. I mean, it's sunny, and mostly warm all the time, but it's a super weird place. I mean, I couldn't wait to get away from it."

"Why did you want to leave?"

"It just…got old. I needed a change, you know? To get out."

"Yeah, I understand that." Hiccup sighed. He listened to her breathing for a moment or two, trying to think of a better question that what her favorite color was, when he heard a gentle snore ease from her relaxed throat. Her breathing was even and soft. He whispered, "Astrid?"

She'd fallen asleep.

Hiccup had laid awake for a little while after that, better questions running through his mind, but they all escaped as sleep came over him too. And now he was awake, the sunlight warming the air, lighting the subtle red tint on the walls. He hadn't noticed it before.

This was so pleasant. _This_. This waking up in the sunlight, next to a girl whose opinion somehow matters more than anything to him, whose next word wasn't anticipated with dread. He wanted to know what she was going to say, wanted to hear her voice.

"Good morning," her sleepy whisper came through a little hoarse. Astrid was laying in the same place she'd been, but her bright blues were open, watching him.

"Morning."

X

"How do you do that?" Hiccup asked.

"Do what?" Astrid turned to ask, genuinely confused, thinking that she'd done something strange.

"Make freezer waffles sexy."

She'd smiled. She couldn't help it. He'd said it so simply, with the shyness that turned everything he said into truth.

"I don't know." she shrugged. She side-glanced at the waffles resting in the toaster. She didn't know that freezer waffles _could_ be made sexy. But she was glad that he thought that she could, whether or not that was good. She turned around and rested her back against the countertop, so she could face Hiccup, who was sitting at the island. "Okay, my turn. Who, and where, was your first kiss?"

Hiccup's casual smile vanished instantly. "On the lips."

"Of course."

Hiccup looked down at the counter, fidgeted his thumbs, and swallowed. "You. Your bedroom."

She felt a lump in her throat but she moved passed it. "Really?"

Hiccup blushed and looked away.

"I mean, that's not…bad." Astrid said. She was a bad liar on the spot. Hiccup's shoulders fell. "I mean, it's kind of…refreshing. You know, to know that you were somebody's first something. That way I know where you lips have been."

"I guess." Hiccup shrugged.

Great. Way to go, Astrid. You embarrassed him. What a bitch. "Is it weird for me to ask why?"

Hiccup sighed. "Not really. It's not a sad story, it's just…lame. I was anti-social, and didn't 'date' or anything. Girls didn't look at me, like I said."

"I don't know why, you're adorable." Astrid said. She meant it. He was. It seemed to help but it didn't undo the damage that she'd done.

"My love life consisted of a bully that pushed me down, kissed me on the cheek, and said I was her boyfriend for the day in the third grade." Hiccup said, a bit downcast, but he overlaid it with his sarcastic humor.

"And your sex life?" Astrid added, and knew as soon as the words left her lips that she'd been too blunt.

"Remember that night in your room?" Hiccup asked, "Yeah, that was it."

"I was your first." Astrid said it as a fact, not as a question.

Hiccup nodded, "Yeah."

"_That _is refreshing." Astrid said. Hiccup looked at her, a different look in his eye, that made her immediately support herself with an explanation. "It's always kind of daunting when you're with someone and you think of how many others they've been with. There's a kind of…magic purity with the first time. It's like…the first bite of a donut that is delicious but with every bite after that it's not as good."

She watched him swallow. He was looking at her, a determination that slightly unnerved her. Most of the time he'd had a shy, curious look, but every once in a while she saw a glimpse of something…darker. It was fierce, strong, and probably braver than he knew. It was intriguing to know there was that side of him, one she hadn't seen, but right now his eyes were driving stakes into chest.

"What?"

"Did you listen to what you just said?"

"Yes?"

"How many guys have you slept with?"

Oh. _Oh_. She had said that. And he couldn't have missed those obvious parallels between him and her. She looked away from him. She remembered the waffles. She turned back around and picked them up and plopped them down on the plate she'd set out. The butter and warmed syrup were already on the island. She held the plate in both hands and set it in front of Hiccup. He was still staring at her. He didn't look down at the waffles. He didn't even make a notion that they were there.

He's being so…damn persistent. She loved it but wished he's stop aiming it at her.

"Astrid?"

"I know." Astrid said. She looked down. Honestly, she didn't want him to know. She didn't want herself to know but she did. "I don't want to tell you."

She dared a glance up at him. He was still staring at her. God, he must think her such a whore. He finally looked down at his waffles. "Can I have a fork?"

"Oh, right, of course." Astrid said, glad for the change of subject, glad for something to do with her hands. She pulled a fork out of the drawer and set it down beside the plate.

"Are you going to tell me?" Hiccup asked.

Damn him. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because you know mine. And I want to know if it's as astronomically high as you make it out to be."

"Nineteen." Astrid said to the floor.

"Nineteen?" Hiccup repeated.

"Yes." Astrid could feel his eyes on her. Nineteen. After hitting the double digits it didn't matter. It all felt the same amount of horrible. She crossed her arms over her chest. She was exposed.

"Is that…times, or guys?"

"Guys." She felt like she was in an interrogation.

"So…"

"Don't ask me how many times. I don't know." She spat, more bitterly than she intended. But it did the trick. She looked back up at Hiccup. He was leaning back, fork in hand, watching her.

"Okay." Hiccup nodded. He jabbed the fork into the stack of waffles.

"Are you upset?" Astrid asked, purposefully waiting for his mouth to be full so he would have to think on it before he spoke. "I understand, if you are, I mean, if you told me that you'd been with…that many, I'd feel…not special. But, it's not like that, Hiccup, I promise."

"Then what is it like? Is this something that you do every couple of weeks? Are you into me now but in a month are you going to be moving on to some other guy?" Hiccup asked, insecurities flashing in his eyes.

"I hope not." Astrid shook her head. He looked at her. "I like you, I really do, and it's going to take a lot to make me sick of you."

Hiccup took another bite of waffle. Syrup dripped down his chin and she fought back the urge to lean over the island top and lick it off for him. No, not right after that conversation. He took another bite and used his finger to wipe his chin clear.

"So I'm guessing that high school wasn't you're heyday?" Astrid asked. He poked her and she was going to poke him back.

"No." Hiccup said, staring down at his waffles as he cut them through. When she didn't say anything after, he continued, "It sucked, more or less. I spent a lot of time by myself, trying to not go crazy. I-I, uh, had this crush on a girl, she was popular. I wasn't. I asked her to the junior prom. She laughed at him."

"That's rude." Astrid commented. She could have at least just declined. There's no need to be so harsh. Such bitches.

"Yeah. I didn't even bother with the whole prom ordeal the next year. I spent the night at Fishlegs's playing Halo." Hiccup shrugged.

"Halo?" It was a game, right? In space?

Hiccup sighed. "A video game. You aren't into that kind of stuff?"

"Not really. I'm more of a tangible, physical kind of girl. You know? I like games that I can touch, like checkers. I like books that I can hold and smell."

"You smell books?"

"Yes. They smell nice. It's like aerated intelligence."

Hiccup smiled. "So…was your prom experience better?"

"I'd say so." Astrid said. She was intimidated by what he thought. She didn't understand why. No one else's opinion bothered her. But this skinny kid's did. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and become _that girl _again. She probably was _that_ _girl_ but she didn't want Hiccup to think so. "I went to prom my sophomore year. It was a little awkward because most of the girls were older than me, and they kind of had this glare that I was invading their…sophisticated party, or whatever. But it wasn't a bad time. The next year was better. We stayed out too late, drank, hung out in the park until the sun came up."

"Did you go your senior year?"

"Yeah." Astrid smiled. As long as they were sharing, "I went with a basketball player. He had a bright red Cadillac. You know, he almost got to play with the Lakers. Didn't make it. Fell into drugs. Dropped the ball. Literally."

"A red Cadillac?"

"Yeah." Astrid nodded. It had been a _really_ nice car. Shiny. Leather seats in a light pinkish tan. A really nice backseat. But Hiccup didn't need to know about that. But for some reason she felt like he already knew.

"Was that your first time?"

Damn him. He knew. But she sighed, "No."

She knew he was looking at her again.

"Are you going to eat?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah," Astrid said. She'd forgotten to put more waffles in her tiny toaster. It only had two slots, two waffles at a time. She reached for the box on the counter, and began to untangle two more frozen waffles from the package. "I was sixteen."

"What?"

"I was sixteen when I lost my virginity." Astrid said plainly. It was blunt time. "With my boyfriend at the time. In his basement. It was awkward. Was it awkward for you?"

Bingo. Hiccup looked distracted by this question. "A little."

Subject change. She needed something else to talk about. Turn the tables. Embarrass him. Call out his short comings. Anything to get the spotlight off hers. His were much less…regrettable.

"So," Astrid said, with a lightning bolt of inspiration, "If _that _was your first time, and you've not had a sex life, then it's safe to say that you've never had a blowjob?"

It had the effect that she'd wanted. He almost choked on his last bite but regained his posture and swallowed. He looked down at the plate, at the floor, at the ceiling, at his hands, anywhere but at her. His cheeks were red and he was twitching.

This was it, a moment of weakness. Astrid pounced on it. She plopped her waffles on his empty plate and walked around the island to sit beside him. She scooped butter with one hand and place the other on his knee. As she smothered the top waffle in butter while she slid her hand up from his knee, along his thigh, making him jitter and twitch.

She was about a thumb's length away from his zipper when a electronic beat burst into the air. They both jumped. Astrid reached to the counter where she'd left her phone.

"What kind of a ring tone is that?" Hiccup asked, a little breathless.

"It's not. It's an alarm. I've got class in an hour." Astrid said. She cleared the alarm on her phone and put it back on the counter. She went back to the waffles and quickly chopped it up into large bits and stuffed several bites into her mouth at once. She chewed and swallowed. "I'm going to shower."

Astrid flew to the bathroom and turned the water on and had just pulled her shirt over her head when she had a sudden thought. She tossed her shirt to the pile and opened the door, cracking it enough to poke her head through, while still hiding her breasts from him. Modesty.

"Hey," Astrid called, "If you're still here for lunch we can get Chinese."

"Okay." Hiccup said back. He was still sitting at the counter. He'd turned around to look at her, a bit of embarrassed innocence reddening across his cheeks.

Astrid shut the door. The steam was heating up the bathroom. The water was hot and felt great on her skin. She tossed her pajama pants in the same pile as her shirt. Maybe one day she'll upgrade and get a hamper. But right now clothes on the floor were fine.

X

Don't you want waffles now?


	13. Chapter 13

A/N - 1) I can't answer/comment on guest reviews. If you want to ask me something you're going to have to log in, or you can ask me via tumblr, I'm sjhodge. 2) I know that the whole 'whore' thing is thrown around in this story, but it's not me or anyone else calling Astrid a whore, it's Astrid calling Astrid a whore. It's her insecurities and self-loathing that's calling her that. She's being really hard on herself.

Also, thanks again for all the reviews and the support!

X

Chapter 13: Chinese Takeout

Hiccup almost choked on the half-chewed waffled in his mouth when Astrid's deliberate touch slid passed his knee. Her bluntness never ceased to send him wheeling backwards, desperately trying to recover, but she was quicker than he at these things. She knew what she was doing whereas he was clueless.

Her hand slid higher along his thigh and he could feel the blood rushing from his brain to his groin. Nervous wouldn't begin to describe how he felt. He was panicking, shaking slightly, and excited. His stomach was in knots and he wanted to tell her to stop, after the conversation they'd just had, but he wanted her to continue. He wanted to do dirty things with her that he'd never dreamed of. He tried to push the number nineteen from his mind, as far as it could go, but it kept resurfacing.

Arousal pressed against his blue jeans, and Hiccup inhaled, waiting for Astrid's hand to tread the last few inches to his zipper. It was now or never, he told himself, to stop her or let her. He decided quickly that he didn't _want_ to stop her.

A startling buzz of a tone broke the moment, shattered it, and Astrid's hand was gone. She was racing to her phone on the counter and putting an end to that obnoxious sound.

"What kind of a ring tone is that?" Hiccup asked, a little angry at the invisible person who'd interrupted. A jealous little voice in the back of his mind whispered bitterly, _it's probably a guy_.

"It's not. It's an alarm. I've got class in an hour." Astrid said quickly. She set her phone back on the counter and stuffed her mouth with several bites of waffles. She chewed and swallowed on her way to the bathroom. "I'm going to shower."

Hiccup was left sitting in the empty kitchen. She'd ignited an arousal and it wasn't going away. He sighed, "Thanks a lot, Astrid."

"Hey," Astrid called suddenly, making him jump.

He turned to see her standing behind the bathroom door, shirtless, but managing to hide the majority of her breasts behind it. He could see the plumpness, nonetheless, firm and round. Hiccup swallowed hard, and thought about anything besides Astrid's breasts. Washing the dishes. The waffles. Anything. But those thoughts were interrupted by Astrid, naked and covered in syrup in strategically modest places, smothered in soap subs in a buddle bath. He clenched his fists.

"If you're still here for lunch we can get Chinese." Astrid said.

"Okay." Hiccup said quickly.

Astrid shut the door, thank god. Hiccup sighed and adjusted the crotch of his jeans. Stupid jeans. There wasn't any give at all. The water was running, probably filling the bathroom with steam, and the lack of blood in his brain almost convinced him that joining her was a good idea. Hiccup stayed where he was and shook his head.

"Waffles. Dishes. Grocery Shopping." Hiccup said under his breath. He stood up and shook his head again, a little more vigorously this time. He resealed the waffles and returned them to the freezer. The waffles on the counter would be cold by the time she was finished so he ate the rest. He washed the plate and fork, which they'd shared. He'd just put the butter back into the fridge when the bathroom door was yanked open.

Astrid, wet and dressed in nothing but a towel, dashed across the living room and into the bedroom. She didn't close the bedroom door but at his current angle he couldn't see anything. He heard her drop the towel and swish it through her hair. He heard her rummage through drawers and her closet and throw clothes onto the bed, hangers clinking. She was mumbling lowly and he heard the quick swish of fabric over skin.

She returned, in a sweatshirt and jeans, braiding her wet hair quickly as she walked. She slipped her socked feet into weathered boots by the door. She tied off her braid and flung it over her shoulder she pulled her coat on and yanked her backpack over her shoulder. She rushed passed Hiccup and stopped to kiss him on the cheek before she left. Hiccup opened his mouth to say something but by the time he had the words, she was gone.

"Man," Hiccup sighed. He replaced the syrup in the cabinet where Astrid had retrieved it. Cleaning up their breakfast hadn't taken very long and soon Hiccup was left standing in the kitchen. He twiddled his fingers along the counter. With Astrid gone the apartment was suddenly too quiet.

He fidgeted for a moment or two and then decided on a shower. The mirror was still steamed up a bit from Astrid's. Behind the door were Astrid's discarded clothes. He added his t-shirt to it, which landed with a soft plop, and unbuttoned his jeans. He pushed them down his legs and kicked them onto the others.

The water didn't take long to get hot. Hiccup stepped into the steaming water and smothered himself in it, saturating his hair, dripping off his nose. Astrid used this shower on a daily basis. She stood in this very spot, naked. Thinking about Astrid had again brought back a not-forgotten arousal. But standing in the hot shower, Hiccup didn't quell the imagines of her smothered in warm maple syrup, or of her scrubbing it off in a overly-sudsy bath, of her hands on his zipper, fingers closing around his throbbing erection, bringing it to her mouth.

He'd never had a blowjob, like she'd guessed, but he wouldn't turn down the option to try it. But at the moment all he had was his own hand, practiced and perfected at the task, but it wasn't his hand he imagined.

"Astrid," Hiccup moaned into the shower's wall, leaning toward it and propping himself up with his free hand while the other mimicked his Astrid-themed sexual fantasy. In it, he had her pushed up against the shower's wall, dripping wet (in more ways than one), gasping and clawing at his back, firm breasts against his chest, perfect legs wrapped around his waist. "Astrid,"

He came and his fantasy dissolved, running through his fingers, and down the drain. Breathless, he washed his hand off in the hot water. He reached for the yellow bottled soap but paused. Did he really want to smell like Tahiti and Jasmine? What did that even smell like? Hiccup picked it up from the shower caddy and popped the lid open, sniffing it, and a pleasant but very feminine scent filled his nose, Astrid's smell.

He hadn't planned of going anywhere else so he used it. Why not?

Nineteen.

Hiccup groaned into the incoming water bullets. He couldn't just ignore that little factoid. It kept coming back. He shouldn't have asked and just let it be a mystery. But he'd wanted to know. He'd _really_ wanted to know. Why, he wasn't entirely sure. What did it accomplish between them? It proved she'd had more experience. But what did that really matter?

X

Astrid huddled in her coat as she made her way from class to the lunch court. English Literature always made her want to sleep. She'd read Beowulf in high school and had hated it. She didn't like it anymore now. She sighed into the breeze. She still had about ten minutes before the taxi was scheduled to pick her up. The warm aromas drifted from the coffee shop attached to the food court.

Maybe she'd grab a hot chocolate to pass the time. She stepped inside the coffee shop and relished in the warmer temperatures. It was set apart from the rest of the food court by a wall and a set of glass double doors. The entire place smelled like salted caramel and pumpkin spice. The lights were dim and the paint was dark, it was soothing if not a just a tiny bit pretentious, and students sat in groups in the shady booths. Seasonal disposable cups were themed with turkeys in scarves.

A few tables, but not many, had been taken over by notes and outlines and books. Early birds were getting a head start on their finals. A lot of professors wanted to do group presentations. Everyone hated them, including Astrid, who was beyond grateful that she didn't have one this semester. But, she still had that damn Frankenstein paper to put together, and whatever else those flighty English professors would throw at them.

"Tough decision, I know," Heather appeared out of thin air, grasping onto Astrid's arm and smiling widely, her white teeth a little too straight between her painted red lips.

"Hey," Astrid grinned. Heather always brought a sense of artsy-happiness to the room, like she herself was a summer-inspired painting. "I just got out of class, what's up?"

"My drawing class was cut short. Teacher had some kind of meeting." Heather waved her graceful hand. "A couple of us are going out to that new deli place by the theater, you want to go?"

"Like this?" Astrid said, motioning to her makeup-less face and sweatshirt.

"What? You look hot. You're really pulling off the exhausted college-student chic." Heather smiled, looking Astrid's pulled together outfit up and down with a designer's eye. "I hear that Victoria Secret is doing a whole line."

They laughed.

"And I've got a Chinese date for lunch."

Heather's smile twisted downward. "Huh? I didn't think you were into Asian boys."

Astrid, confused, quickly understood and laughed. "No, no, a date with Chinese food between us."

Heather smiled, "Right, is it with the drawing boy?"

"It is."

"What was his name, again?"

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup. That's a nickname, right?"  
>Astrid laughed, "Yes."<p>

"It's not like a penis nickname, is it?"

Astrid laughed, although a bit red in the cheeks, "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Astrid winked. It had been dark that night, but she'd felt it. It wasn't bad at all considering how skinny he was.

"So how's it going with him?" Heather asked. They stepped out of the way as the line at the counter began to grow.

"Good, I think." Astrid nodded. "I asked him to move in."

"Already?" Heather raised a brow.

"His apartment is junk and he's sleeping on an air mattress. He's a sweetheart and even if it doesn't 'work out' between us I won't kick him out. He's a lot of fun to be around."

"And even more fun to snuggle?" Heather smiled.

Astrid smiled, trying to play off her blushing cheeks as embarrassment, but she knew it was partly due to the lack of snuggling in their "whatever" relationship. She recovered quickly, "But he's thinking about enrolling. And financially, moving in would be a smart move."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself it's about the money." Heather said, a dangerously smutty smile spreading along her ruby lips and a glinting in her eye. "But, seriously, isn't that moving a little fast? I mean, how long have you even known this guy? He might be secretly insane. What if he snaps one day and kills you in your sleep? Or rapes you in the shower and stabs you?"

"What?" Astrid wanted to laugh at her odd imagery. She couldn't imagine Hiccup Haddock as a murder. She saw him as the guy who would swerve to miss a rabbit darting across the road. "Nah, this guy is different. He's not like any other guy that I've met. He's special."

Heather smiles, "That's what they all say, the day before they stop answering the phone, their homework goes un-turned in, no one answers their door. Then, one day, when their rent goes unpaid and the landlord finds her, dead and rotting in the shower, blood staining the white tiles."

"Are you sure you're not a English nerd underneath all that paint?" Astrid crossed her arms.

"No, I'd rather paint stories than write them out. _Bleh_." Heather shrugged. "But, speaking of painting, does he still draw you?"

"I don't know." Astrid said. He'd kept his sketchbook well hidden after she'd snooped through it. She wasn't even sure if he had it at her place or his. "Maybe when he's sleep or at work I can find it."

"Oh, diving in to the sneaky girlfriend territory?" Heather smiled.

"Oh, like you've never."

"I didn't say that I hadn't." Heather whispered.

There was a ding on Astrid's phone as a taxi pulled up along the sidewalk outside. Astrid said a quick farewell to Heather and jogged through the cold November air and to the waiting car.

X

Hiccup was halfway through his second episode of "Bones" when Astrid came through the apartment door.

"How'd class go?" He asked.

"Bleh," Astrid groaned as she dumped her backpack by the door. She shed her coat and hung it on the back of a kitchen chair. She came over she slumped down beside him on the sofa. "What have you been doing?"

"I took a shower. Did the dishes. Then I discovered that you have Netflix." Hiccup said, pointing to the TV screen.

"Oh, yeah. Loads cheaper than cable." Astrid sighed. "Bones? You didn't strike me as a murder-mystery type."

"I didn't think I was either." Hiccup said, not missing the odd pitch in her voice. "But I didn't feel like looking through the entire database so I went to your list."

"Yeah, I was really into it a couple years ago." Astrid said. "I thought that I wanted to go into forensics, solve murders and catch bad guys. But I was talked into the basic degree in English. They said it was more flexible."

"Who said that?" Hiccup asked.

"The idiot advisor that talked me into it."

"Hm." Hiccup nodded. If he had to talk to one of those people would they throw him into a major that he hated?

Astrid sighed loudly, turning her exhale into a groan, and leaned back onto the sofa. "So you still good with Chinese?"

"Totally."

"Good, because we were going to get it anyway." Astrid said. "There's a family owned place like three blocks from here. It's my favorite."

Astrid got up from the couch and walked to the fridge. She pulled a paper menu from underneath a Vikings magnet. She came back to the couch and handed the menu to him. He took it from her hands and she plopped back down onto the couch, a little farther away from him than before. He pretended not to notice.

He hadn't eaten a lot of Chinese in his life. There weren't many in Berk. None, actually. But there was an American-Chinese food a couple of towns away. What if this place, he flipped quickly to the cover, Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, was a little too authentic?

"What's good?" He asked.

Astrid leaned over, her braid ticking the hair on his arm, and she gave him a quick tour of the menu. The chicken was good. The beef was hit and miss. Their white rice was usually dry and tasteless. The fried rice was really good. Their veggies were a little underdone but that's how she liked them. Her favorite was the orange chicken.

It took about five minutes to go over the menu, call the restaurant, place their order, and pay. Astrid paid over the phone before Hiccup could interrupt. He felt odd about having her buy his food like this. The guy was supposed to buy the food, right? But there she goes, again, paying for him. It was beginning to make him feel inadequate.

"Thank you," Astrid said as she hung up the phone with proper enunciation.

She set her phone on the counter and came back to the couch. She plopped down with an exhausted sigh.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, just tired. Class really takes it out of me." Astrid said. She sighed, "Don't worry, carbs and sodium will bring it back."

"You want to watch Bones with me?" Hiccup asked, pointing to the TV.

"Sure, what episode are you on?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup quickly recapped the episode, even though Astrid had probably seen it, but she didn't interrupt him. She let him talk. He looked between her and the screen. When he caught her up to speed he leaned back. Astrid, grinning, lifted her legs upward and twisted her hips, laying her legs over his lap. He felt his heart flutter. He let his arms fall over her legs. His hands settled on either side of her knees, one curving around her calf and the other on her thigh.

They sat like this until the doorbell rang and Astrid jumped from the couch. She opened the door to a short and smiling Chinese male, maybe seventeen, holding a plastic bag in his hands. He handed it to Astrid with a quick bow of his head.

"Thank you," Astrid said.

"Have a good day," He said. With the bag transferred, he vanished from the doorway, and Astrid pushed the door closed with her hip. She turned around and set the bag on the counter. "Alright,"

It didn't take long for the entire apartment to smell like the Chinese. Astrid took two plastic covered trays out of the bag and set them on the counter, along with two pairs of plastic forks, a couple of packs of soy sauce, a little plastic tub of red sweet and sour, and two wrapped fortune cookies.

Hiccup paused the show and walked over to the counter. It smelled delicious, although it could have been because he hadn't eaten since those waffles. Astrid unpacked the food from its plastic casing and set the two meals out in front of the chairs. She arranged the wrapped forks on the right side, and then handed him one of the fortune cookies. She looked between him and the second one.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"It's bad luck to give yourself your own fortune cookie." Astrid said.

"Is that a legit thing?" Hiccup asked.

"I…" Astrid started but then stopped. "I don't know. It's just what I've been told. By white people. It's probably not a Chinese thing. But still." She looked down at the last fortune cookie.

Hiccup reached for it and pushed it toward her.

"Thank you," Astrid said.

They sat down at the counter and ate and talked. They talked about Chinese food, good and bad experiences, and how Astrid had gotten food poisoning from a little Chinese place that had long went out of business. The owner had gotten arrested for chasing ducks in the park, finally shining light on the mystery of the dwindling duck population, which shut down his food business immediately.

Neither had made it completely through the tray. There was more than enough food for two meals, and maybe part of a third, and Astrid offered to put the leftovers in the fridge.

"That's one reason I like the Hong Kong place. You pay one meal price for like three." Astrid said as she closed the fridge.

She sat back down and unwrapped her fortune cookie. Hiccup did the same. The crisp cookie snapped open and the little white piece of paper stuck out.

He heard Astrid laugh, "'Don't forget to look around you. Inspiration is everywhere. You lucky number is five'. Right. What does your say?"

Hiccup cleared his throat. He stared at the red ink, which was a little uncomfortable on his eyes, and read, "'Stale skies grow stale wheat. A change of scenery is in order'."

"Is it?" Astrid smiled. She stood up, tossing her cookie's wrapper in the trash can, and reached for a paper towel. She wet it down under the sink and began to wipe down the counter.

Was it? Hiccup was about to toss the fortune cookie into the trash where Astrid had thrown hers, but hesitated, and when Astrid wasn't looking he clutched it, and tucked it into his pocket. He wasn't sure why.

"You know, Astrid, I've been thinking," Hiccup said, tentatively. Astrid paused, turned to face him with a slow caution, waiting with apprehension. Hiccup swallowed, he supposed that he could have used a better intro. "It's not bad, it's just…that I've been thinking, or wondering, if it was too late to enroll."

The apprehension on Astrid's face was immediately replaced by a wide smile. "Really? You're applying?"

Hiccup nodded. He was taken back when Astrid suddenly leaned across the counter and kissed him. Her hand grazed his arm, holding lightly onto him, and he felt his heart thump hard against this rid cage. He could taste the Chinese on her lips and was sure that she could taste it on his. She began to pull away and he felt a loss, and he knew that he didn't want it to end, and he closed that small space between them. When he pushed his lips onto hers he ushered out a small sound from her throat that drifted into his.

When they finally broke away from each other, neither moved, both still leaning toward the other.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know about me?" Astrid whispered, her breath warm on his lips.

"Your last name," Hiccup whispered back, a slight smile on his lips.

"Hofferson." Astrid grinned.

She kissed him, lightly, sliding her hand up his arm and around his shoulders. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands. Gingerly, he moved them to her waist, but he felt like an awkward preteen boy at his first dance, holding a girl at arm's length. He let his arms fall to a relaxed position at her hips. He kissed her back, feeling the rush of blood going south, suddenly aware of what kissing could lead to. He pulled away from her.

"What?" Astrid breathed, "Do you want to take this elsewhere?"

"No," Hiccup shook his head. He leaned back in his chair. "Do you remembering talking about sex last night?"

"Yeah," Astrid nodded, leaning back. "Does that mean you want to wait?"

"Yeah." Hiccup nodded. "It's not that I don't want to, I do, but I don't want a relationship that's just about sex, you know?"

"I understand." Astrid nodded. But she recovered, smiling, "Does that mean you want a relationship?"

Hiccup smiled. "Maybe I do. But, not going to lie, I don't know how that goes."

"Okay, I'll start." Astrid said, turning to face him, placing her hand on top of his. "Do you want to go out with me?"

Hiccup chuckled. It was such a simple question that made him feel young and innocent. He looked at Astrid, beautiful blue eyes and lovely cheek bones, filling him with reassurance.

"I would love to." Hiccup smiled.

Astrid leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

X

Side note, I have no idea what day it is in this story. A weekday. It's a problem that I'm working on. I'm making sure that there's a feasible timeline starting in the next chapter. Also, I was actually watching Bones when I was writing this, and editing. I've got a lot of episodes on my DVR right now.


	14. Chapter 14

Whoo! Hiccup and Astrid are dating! And a plot twist is about to happen. A serious plot twist. Don't worry isn't nothing weird, like vampires or anything, it's a normal real world plot twist. (Astrid's not pregnant.)

Thanks for all the support for this story and the positive reviews - I really appreciate it!

X

Chapter 14: Working Weekends

Girlfriend.

_Girlfriend_.

Girlfriend. How could one word leave such a balloon in his chest? Hiccup swallowed. If someone told him a month ago that he'd be sitting here, eating Chinese, with his girlfriend, in her apartment, he would have laughed at them. But here he was. She was sitting across from him, her smiling wavering, concern flashing across her face.

"What's wrong?" Astrid asked.

"Nothing, it's just…it's a little hard to wrap my head around." Hiccup shrugged. "I'm not used to having a girlfriend." It even sounded strange on this lips, like a foreign word he wasn't used to.

"Or being a boyfriend?" Astrid smiled.

_Boyfriend_. It sounded just as weird. When he heard _boyfriend_ he pictures a broad shouldered guy in a jersey and expensive jeans and driving a shiny red sports car.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked. She leaned in a little closer.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Hiccup nodded. "It still sounds a little weird."

Astrid, his girlfriend. He was her boyfriend.

Astrid smiled. She leaned in the rest of the way and kissed him. Her hand traced his cheekbone. Her lips were remarkable soft. She slid her hand into his and gripped his fingers in hers. She leaned back, and he couldn't help but follow her a small distance, and missed the feeling of her lips at once. She smiled, looked down, and let out a girlish giggle.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"So…you don't want a relationship that's just about sex," she paused, "But does that mean that you don't want to do anything?"

Hiccup felt a lump in his throat. She was smiling wickedly and he knew what she was thinking. But, feeling a little fiendish himself, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Astrid's smile widened. She reached forward and placed a slender hand on his knee. Was it a trick of the light or was there a light blush on her cheeks?

"You know, like oral stuff," Astrid said lower, like it was a secret passing between two students during class.

Hiccup felt his throat go dry and couldn't quite swallow. He hadn't forgotten about that morning. She'd offered him a blowjob. He would have taken it, too, if her phone hadn't interrupted. He wasn't any less nervous now than he had been then, maybe a little more.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"What does that mean, exactly? I mean, for us?"

Astrid's smile faltered but quickly returned. She licked her lips and set back in her chair. His nervousness was joined by another. Had he said the wrong thing? He was trying to think of something to add, something intelligent and romantic, but he had nothing.

"Well," Astrid said, inhaling and biting her lip, "It's like a trade off…instead of sex, I'd blow you and then you'd blow me."

Was Astrid nervous? She _looked_ nervous. Hiccup hadn't seen her nervous before. She always appeared so strong and confident. But she was looking down, her eyes glancing up at him with a shy smile, and it was pushing on something inside his chest that left him speechless.

"What does that mean?" Hiccup asked. He felt his cheeks burn. He felt so ignorant in asking, "I didn't know girls could be blown."

Astrid blinked at him. She opened her mouth but nothing came out at first. She stuttered, a strange sound to him, and then giggled. She blushed and tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"What's funny?" Hiccup asked. Surely, it was him. It was probably a stupid question.

"Your innocence is adorable." Astrid smiled, half-laughing.

Hiccup felt the burning intensity.

"It's like a blowjob but for girls." Astrid said, her shamelessness returning.

"But…girls don't have…" Hiccup said, stumbling over his thoughts as they became words.

"…penises. We're grown-ups here, Hiccup. We can use grown-up words." Astrid said with a straight face that reminded him a bit of a teacher. The moment of her serious face passed and she broke out in that girlish giggle. "There are other things down there."

Hiccup, suddenly embarrassed, nodded.

"You know what I'm talking about?" Astrid asked. A wicked glint flashes across her eye as she said lowly, "Do you need me to show you?"

"No," Hiccup found his voice. "I know what that is."

Astrid giggled and smiled at him, "Right, it's the female version of a penis. Sort of. Not really. It's way better."

"Oh, you have experience to back that up?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes." Astrid nodded. She laughed. "No, but I'm not looking to exchange it. Besides, it'd be a bit of a downgrade."

They were both laughing. This, sitting here, talking, being around her, it felt so natural.

"And that is what I'm supposed to blow?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, that's what going down on a girl means. It's a blowjob for girls."

"That sounds gross." Hiccup wrinkled his nose. She expected him to put his mouth there?

"Sex is gross but we do it anyway." Astrid smiled. She sighed, "You're cute when you blush."

Hiccup knew he was blushing, through the whole conversation, but it suddenly felt like his entire face was on fire. He placed a hand on either side of his face and their comparative coolness felt like ice. Astrid leaned forward and rest her elbows on her knees.

"So?" She was looking at him, a brow raised, a small bit of that girly shyness was leaking into her cheeks.

She was waiting for an answer. He swallowed. That lump in his throat was back. Astrid was leaning closer. Her hands were on his knees. In a quick decision he reached down and picked her hands up with his, holding them.

"I'll try it, but not today. Someday." Hiccup smiled. He could feel the thumping against his ribcage slowing down.

To his relief, she smiled, her teeth poked out from between her soft pink lips. She gripped his hand.

"Okay," she nodded. Then her expression grew serious, "So you want to go to school?"

"Yes," Hiccup nodded.

"Does that mean you'll move in, too?" Astrid smiled.

Hiccup inhaled and found releasing it hard. He hadn't really thought about it. He'd taken time to decide about going to school. He'd had time to think it through. But he'd ignored that tidbit. His thoughts drifted back to the fortune cookie in his pocket. He'd moved away from Berk for a change. He'd left his home, his few friends, for a change. School would be a change. Astrid was a nice change.

"Yes," Hiccup nodded. Before she could say anything he added, "But my lease still has a while to go."

"That's fine." Astrid said. "You can take your time with moving. It'll be less stressful that way. I mean, a slow adjustment is easier to take than a quick one. And…I guess this gives you the chance to go back if you don't like it here."

"I don't think that'll happen." Hiccup smiled.

Astrid smiled back at him, her reassurance leaking into him, brightening his doubt.

X

The next few days passed by in a blazing blur. They ate together when they could, with Astrid's school and Hiccup's work. They slept in the same bed with less than an arm's length between them. Hiccup had gone home but returned with a small bag of necessities, including his toothbrush which Astrid had made him throw away because it was old, clothes, non-girly soap, and a razor.

"You shave?" Astrid had asked.

"Yes?" Hiccup raised a brow.

Astrid had reached out and stroked a hand along his jaw. "I guess I didn't think about it. You never seemed to be that unshaven."

Hiccup had groaned off that fact that he couldn't grow a lumberjack's beard and Astrid had laughed at him.

Astrid woke on Sunday morning to Hiccup's even breathing. He slept on his back and she slept on her side. She wanted him to sleep on her right so that when she opened her eyes he would be there. He was a lovely sight to wake to. His mouth was partly open and his hair was messed from where he'd rustled it against the pillow. His jaw was strong and defined. His cheekbones were gently curved. His eyes were amazing. He was beautiful, even if he didn't know it. Part of her didn't want him to know. His shyness was beautiful.

They shared a bed but they hadn't touched. She didn't want him to feel pressured into doing anything he didn't want to. But she wasn't used to this…hesitation. Was it because of her? Because of…nineteen? She couldn't begin to understand how he felt about it. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. Sighing, she retuned her gaze to the ceiling.

She was okay with not having sex until he wanted to. He was a man, after all, and sooner or later he'd want to. But it wasn't the sex that she liked about him. She enjoyed his company. She liked the sound of his voice. His honesty was refreshing. She could really get used to him being around.

"Good morning," Hiccup's morning whisper broke her thoughts.

"Morning," Astrid smiled, turning back to face him. His eyes were so bright in the morning.

Hiccup groaned as he stretched, reaching upward to the ceiling and arching his back, popping a few things. He released and his limbs fell back onto the bed. He sighed and he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Astrid asked.

"I have to pee."

He scooted off the bed. She listened to his uneven footsteps as he walked to the bathroom. He'd been careful with his prosthetic around her. He wore pajamas pants to bed and usually socks, too. She's only caught a glimpse of it here and there. It had been metal and peach colored plastic formed into the shape of a human foot. She'd like to see it closer. She understood that he might be self-conscious about it but from what she'd seen it looked like a marvel. It didn't look ugly at all.

She heard the toilet flush. The door opened and Hiccup's uneven footsteps came back into the bedroom. He slumped back onto the bed. Astrid rolled over and reached up to run a hand along his back, feeling his shoulder blades beneath his t-shirt. He turned around and she let her hand fall back down to the bed.

"Yes?" Hiccup yawned.

She padded the space beside her. He smiled sleepily and leaned back onto the bed. He crawled next to her and slid an arm under her pillow. She curled into his side and laid her head on his chest so that she could hear his heartbeat.

"What do you want to do today?" Hiccup asked.

"Hmm…I don't know. There's this cute coffee place downtown." Astrid said.

"Coffee sounds nice. What do you want for breakfast?" Hiccup asked. He pressed his cheek to her hair.

"Coffee. I don't keep my girlish figure by eating breakfast."

"Right, so downtown coffee shop?" Hiccup asked, a smile on his words.

Astrid nodded against him.

X

It was eleven o'clock when Hiccup and Astrid sat down inside the downtown café. It smelled of cake and coffee and had a soothing dark atmosphere. One wall was devoted to shelving wine and one corner was reserved for poets' night. Thankfully, that was on Thursdays. They ordered coffee and an omelet for Hiccup. He ate while Astrid sipped. The omelet was half gone when Astrid's phone buzzed.

She reached into her coat pocket and smiled an apologize for the interruption. She withdrew her cell and quickly read the caller's name and number that flashes across the screen.

_Shit_.

"Hello?" Astrid smiled again at Hiccup.

"Hey, Pigeon, good morning!" said the fake-cheery male voice on the other end. She could hear someone talking low in the background.

"What's up? This isn't my weekend." Astrid said, trying not to sound annoyed. She glanced over to Hiccup would was watching her with interest while he chewed.

"I know, I know, but one of the girls called in sick. That brown-haired girl with weak knees, you know?"

"Chelsea." Astrid corrected him.

"Right, her. Well, we're a girl short tonight. And, I always enjoy seeing you around here. You bring another step of class."

Astrid sighed heavily.

"Oh, come on, Pigeon. You'll get time and a half!"

"It's not about the money, Eret." Astrid sighed. She looked down at the table. She didn't want to look at Hiccup during this conversation.

"Please, Pigeon? The only other girl is that annoying fake-redheaded girl."

"Britney."

"Right, even her name is annoying. Come on, please?"

Astrid sighed. "Fine. What time?"

"The usual, five."

"Fine."

"Thank you, Pigeon. See you at five."

Astrid hung up and dunked the phone back into her coat pocket. She wrapped both hands around her coffee. She didn't want to talk about it but she knew it was unavoidable.

"Who was that?" Hiccup asked.

"Work." Astrid said.

"Eret? Wasn't that the guy from the library?"

How could he possibly remember that? Men aren't supposed to remember stuff. But of course, he's Hiccup he _would_ remember.

Astrid bit her lip. "Yes. That's how we know each other. He's kind of my manager. Someone called in and he wants me to take the shift."

"And you said yes?"

"He made it hard not to. Practically begged me." Astrid sighed. "So I'll go to work tonight. Are you okay with staying by yourself?"

"Yeah." Hiccup nodded. He took another bite and chewed it while he looked at her. "Why wouldn't I be? Are you afraid that I'll burn down the apartment?"

Astrid smiled. "Not at all. I'm more afraid of finding moldy food in the sink or dirty socks in corners."

X

At four-thirty Astrid said goodbye to Hiccup, kissing him lightly on the cheek, and headed down to the waiting cab. The sun was set when the cab stopped outside of a

dainty corner pub whose windows were tinted dark gold. Double doors were set into the stone frame of the old building. A clean sigh above the solid doors read, _Rachel's_.

Astrid didn't walk in through the front door. She walked around to the alley. The alley door was guarded by Frank, an intimidating black man who always had a cigarette between his lips. He looked mean and unfriendly but he was a teddy bear.

"Evening, Pigeon. I didn't think you were working tonight." Frank said, pulling the door open for her, talking with the smoke held tight in his mouth.

"I didn't either. Eret called me this morning with the good news." Astrid smiled.

Frank nodded and she went inside. The darkness of the backroom was gloomy and she could hear the soft techno music of the restaurant floor. She sighed and headed into the green room.

"Astrid?"

"Hey," Astrid nodded as the other girls greeted her.

The green room was well lit with bare bulbs lining the top of a wall-length mirror. A counter ran beneath it and several of the girls sat in front of it, adding blush or liners. On the other side of the room were the uniforms, nearly organized and on hangers. Astrid grabbed her and began to change, placing her own clothing on the hanger, and trying to ignore Kelly and Sasha discuss hairdressers. Apparently, Kelly's last hair appointment had gone terribly wrong.

"What's wrong with it? It looks goods." Astrid said, fluffing the back of Kelly's short curls.

"Oh, sure you'd say that. You have perfect hair." Kelly whined.

Astrid shrugged. She tried.

Rachel's was a restaurant. The food was good and the wine was expensive. The air was dark and the music was just loud enough to mar a conversation from reaching to far. The lights weren't too bright and the tables were always clean. It was a local place that stemmed from a mother company in St. Louis. They didn't advertise. They didn't need to.

Astrid spied herself in the mirror. Her make-up was fine and her hair would do. She adjusted the collar of her shirt. She looked like a bartender from Cabaret, white blouse and black vest, with an adjustable plunging neckline that depended on how many buttons she undid. Tonight she as feeling a bit more modest and left one button high than she normal would.

Damn it, she'd forgotten to change bras. She could see the blue under the white shirt. The black vest covered most of it and there wasn't anything she could do about it now. This ensemble looked better with a black one. It blended in more. Whatever. It's not like it matters much in a place like this.

The girls that worked at Rachel's weren't hookers. It was true that they were paid to be attractive and friendly. The food on the menu was good but there were secrets that could be ordered off-menu that were more expensive that any bottle of wine.

Astrid walked into the office where the time clock rested on a wooden table. She reached for her time card.

"Pigeon!" Eret called out. He was sitting at the desk with his ankles crossed and resting on the corner. There was a half-drank draft resting on a book with multiple water-rings. "I'm glad you came in."

"You think it's time to upgrade this contraption?" Astrid said at the time clock punched the time onto her card, ten until five.

"Nah, I like it's accuracy. And I like the sound it makes." Eret shrugged with a smile.

Astrid knew that smile. They taught it in business class. It was fake-nice 101. He had a natural charisma but lack in brains. He was street smart but couldn't take a test to save his live. He prided himself on being a womanizer. He could charm dimmer woman into his bed in under an hour, he said. He came off as brash and stupid but he had a good heart under it all.

Eret unlocked the doors at five o'clock sharp. Sunday night was a slower night with most middle-aged and older customers. Astrid didn't miss how the men looked at her, like she was some half-dressed sultry picture in a men's magazine. Their wives, however, either ignored her completely or berated her with cold eyes and sharp tongues.

"It's because you're fucking hot," Eret had said when she'd complained. "You're what every man wishes he could have and what every woman wishes she was."

Like most night, people come and go, eating, drinking and talking. Astrid kept her eyes open and ears perked. She memorized faces and voices. Eret kept an eye on the place, making rounds, keeping the books. No one seemed to want anything extra tonight and that was fine with Astrid. Of course, this location wasn't the prime spot for the extras.

It was ten to eleven when Astrid clocked out.

"I'm so tired." Astrid groaned, rubbing her neck. She was also hungry. Hiccup might have made dinner but odds were that he made it only for himself.

"There's some coffee left over." Eret said. He was organizing the night's records.

"No, I'm good." She said. Her stomach growled.

"Hungry?"

"No,"

"Liar." Eret smiled. "There's food in the fridge. Make yourself a sandwich."

"No, I'm good. I've got food at home." Astrid yawned.

"Are you working next weekend?"

"I thought you were in charge? Shouldn't you be on top of this stuff?"

"I am!" Eret said, defensively. "I haven't worked out the schedule yet."

"I'm working in St. Louis next weekend."

"Ah," Eret nodded. His expression darkened. "Any luck tonight?"

"No." Astrid said lowly.

Eret sighed. "Well, better luck next night. Good night, Pigeon."

"Night," Astrid nodded. She headed to the alley door. The cab should be there any minute.

X

Before you ask - _Pigeon_ is a nickname. No, Eret and Astrid aren't hitting on each other. That's a different story. They're a total bromance in this story. They enjoy pushing each other's buttons.


End file.
